White Tiger Demon, Princess Chihiro
by Jackie B
Summary: After her tribe was killed by humans, tiger demon Chihiro runs away from her forest in fear. To the east, she encounters Inuyasha, a halfdemon sealed to a tree. Knowing him only through his heartbeat, she forges a special relationship with him. 45 years l
1. Prologue: Encountering Inuyasha

Disclaimer: Most, if not, all of the content in the following fanfiction is made up. This fanfiction's purpose is to provide an "unknown" chapter on of the Inuyasha saga that happens somewhere after episode 126, where Naraku escapes with a new body and Inuyasha rescues Kagome from his incarnation, Hakudoshi. It includes characters from the series as well as introduces some other. In the end, its purpose is not to affect the true storyline of the Inuyasha saga in any way. It's meant to create a new storyline, but it doesn't change anything about what happens in the series later on.

I grew up in the forest just beyond a village. I'm the last of my kind, or at least my tribe. The rest were killed by the humans from the village because rumors spread that if the tigers got a hold of the Shikon jewel, the village would crumble and everyone would fall victim to them. Of course, I am different from the rest; I'm a half-demon and most of the time, I look like human girl with a pale face and black stripes on my cheeks. I usually hid my tiger stripes so I would blend in.

The day that the humans killed the members of my tribe, I was so small that I couldn't be seen, even with my white fur in the nighttime. I felt lost and alone, not knowing what would become of me. I ran away from my home to seek sanctuary somewhere. The full moon also rose, which was the day I lost my demon-like nature. I ran to the forest east of the village, not knowing what I'd find, but I knew I had to make a home for myself. I got lost along the way when I saw a glowing, pink light. I followed it to a large tree with pale bark. I gasped as I saw someone had been pinned to the tree. I approached him, thinking that he'd spring to life at any moment. I asked, "Hello? Can you hear me?" He didn't budge, only his hair moved as it blew in the wind. A root came up from the ground and I jumped onto it as it took me closer to him. I placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart subtly beat. I looked up at him as he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

I then looked at the arrow in his chest that pinned him to the tree. It shone pink; that was the pink light I had seen. It was like it was calling me to him. I kept my ear to his chest for another minute or so to listen to the lull of his heart. The only thing that left me clueless was the fact he wasn't breathing. The pink light shone and flickered in a circle around him. I realized that he had been sealed that tree. As a cloud darkened the moon, I temporarily reverted back to normal, whatever that normal is. I was the princess of the tribe, but it was unusual. My mother was the leader before me and my father was human, very unusual. I never even met my father, but that's all right. After what happened, I wasn't as liable to trust humans since they didn't trust us. I grew up learning that humans and demons could live together peacefully, but thanks to the Shikon jewel, that's impossible.

I decided that it was getting really dark and I couldn't stay too much longer. I just stood there, my ear pressed against his heart. I sighed, "I wish that you were alive just so maybe you could help me… I'm so lost and alone." I looked up one last time before continuing listening. I shed a tear, "Why'd they have to do that to you? What could you have possibly done so someone would seal you to a tree? Humans are just so unfair and even cruel at times." I wrapped my fingers around the silver locks of his hair as I listened to his heart. "I wish you were alive."

I continued to return to that spot every night to visit the mysterious demon that was sealed to the sacred tree. Although he couldn't speak or even look at me, just being beside him and listening to his heart was reassuring enough through those lonely years. I whispered one night, ten years later, "I wish you were alive. Right now, though, after visiting you for 10 years now, I wish you could tell me your name, so I can thank you for helping me through these lonely years."

"Inuyasha…" A kindly, curious voice called from behind me. I gasped when I realized that I was being watched. I turned around and saw a middle-aged priestess with an eye patch. I felt a chill run all over me. "What are ye doing in the Forest of Inuyasha, child?"

"What?" I gasped as I backed away. She drifted closer to me and my fear of humans kicked in. I jumped off the root as it sunk back into the ground, as if it knew I wanted to escape. I backed away in fear, but for some reason, the priestess hushed me. "Calm down, child. I'm not going to hurt you." I looked up as the full moon was covered by another cloud. Her expression changed, "a tiger demon?"

I nodded, still shaking all over. "How long have you been in the Forest of Inuyasha?" Despite my shaking, I was able to tell her. "I didn't know what to do. I was only a kid when everyone in my tribe was killed by humans. I still fear them to this day, which is why I only come out of hiding at night. I didn't know where to run, so I ended up here. My forest was west of the village, so I went east to get away from everything. I saw a pink light come from here and that drew me to him."

"I am Kaede, the village priestess. So, do ye lose your powers on the night of the full moon?" I nodded. "Come with me, you'll give you a nice warm meal so you'll sleep more soundly tonight."

I nodded again and followed her back to her little hut. It was good have to nice warm food again; I've been living on whatever I could find, mostly dead stuff, though. After finishing it, I curled up into a ball, feeling a wave of loneliness wash over me.

"So," Kaede broke the silence, "have ye visited Inuyasha every night for the past 10 years?" I nodded, still a little shaken. I sighed, "I don't know what drew me to him, but when I pressed my ear against his chest, in order to hear the beating of his heart, I felt a lot better. I felt stronger because of it. I don't understand it myself, so I don't blame you if you think that sounds crazy."

"So, his heart has been beating for the past 10 years?" I nodded. "That's unusual, seeing as he was sealed to that tree, meaning that he was killed by my sister, Kikyo."

I saw the peaceful look on his face in my mind as I lay curled up. "He wasn't really that much trouble, was he?"

"Well, he was one of the demons after the Shikon jewel, which my sister was guarding. In the end, he got a hold of it, but Kikyo shot him with a spell-binding arrow. She was also mortally wounded, leading her to die soon after. The jewel had since then been gone as it was burned with her body." The picture in my mind didn't waver. "I just don't believe he could be that kind of person…"

"Well, demons covet the jewel so they can become stronger. In Inuyasha's case, he wanted to become a full demon."

"Full demon? You mean he's only half, like me?" I looked away, continuing to wonder on.

"He was quite a handful, though. I doubt that he'd need the jewel because he is a pretty powerful half-demon all on his own. He's just one of the greatest of the great, but was never given credit because he's half-human.

"I never once was ashamed of being half-human, but seeing things as they are, I don't want to trust them. They believed my tribe to be the one coveting the jewel and destroy the village. I wouldn't want to destroy this village; it's nice and peaceful here. I just wish that demons and humans wouldn't have to fight."

"Well, we all wish that, but I'm afraid things aren't that simple." I got up off the ground, knowing what I had to do.

"Child, where are ye off to?" I sighed sadly as I looked back, "Lady Kaede, I know what I must do. While my tribe had been killed, other tiger tribes might still be out there. I need to find them, if any are left from what the humans have done."

"It would be best to leave while it is dark out."

"Well, I think it's better if I wait around until the beginning of the lunar cycle again. It'll be really dark and I'll have my full powers." I looked down, "but I can't prolong my stay. I'll leave tomorrow morning where I'll blend in with the bright light. I just want to say goodbye to Inuyasha before I leave."

"I understand. I wish ye luck." I looked back, "My name is Chihiro, Lady Kaede, I hope ye will remember that." She nodded before I took off. As I walked back to the forest, the moon visible, I sighed, knowing this would be hard to do. I got to the Sacred Tree as Inuyasha hung there, his silver hair blowing in the wind. I stepped on the root one last time and embraced him. I pressed my ear to his heart as it beat slowly, but subtly. I shed tears, but more than even the night where my tribe was destroyed. "Inuyasha, I'm going to miss this so much. Thank you so much for getting me through these past 10 years. Now, I think I can borrow a little of your strength so I can begin my journey. I never thought it possible for me to be able to get back on my own two feet, so I thank you for that." Before I departed, I whispered as I listened to the calming lull of his heart. "I wish you were alive, Inuyasha. I wish from the bottom of my heart that you were alive, so I could tell you how much being next to you has meant to me. I promise that I'll come back when I find my roots." The root took me up closer to his face. I stroked his cheek with teary eyes and I kissed it before I jumped off. "I wish you could awaken someday, Inuyasha, so I can properly thank you for everything."


	2. Inuyasha's Alive?

45 years later…

Over the past years, I had traveled far and wide to find another tiger tribe which I could belong to. However, it wasn't easy. Few of the tribes were left and even so, I wasn't easily welcomed. I was chased away because of my appearance. My white hair gave me away as a half-demon. Occasionally, I would be taken in by a resident of the village when I was in my human form. Those were the only nights I ever got a good meal. Before day broke on those nights, I ran back to the nearby forest or even the mountains, wherever I was. In a mountain valley to the north of the village where I started, I found another tiger tribe that had heard of my own and how the humans killed everyone. My mother was a legend among legends and despite my half-demon appearance, they took me in and I finally had a home. I trained with my claws in case the humans would dare to repeat what they did to my first tribe. I had to be prepared for anything and anyone that'd come in my way. I thought about Inuyasha every day and how his courage has helped me make this journey.

I decided that since things had been relatively quiet in the valley, on the night of a clear full moon, I went back to the forest of Inuyasha to see him once more. I looked for the pink light that lead me there, but I couldn't see it or even sense the energy from Kikyo's arrow. I followed my nose for that familiar smell, but it was very faint. I followed and found a tree with arrows on it, but no Inuyasha. I didn't see anything ripped pieces of his coat in the arrows. I touched the tree and sighed. "Inuyasha…"

I then heard footsteps and I shuddered. I looked up, but I was so consumed with sadness that my mind couldn't process that I wanted to run away. I curled up in a ball, knowing that as my only defense. "Child, what are ye doing back in the Forest of Inuyasha?"

I shuddered, "Not anymore… Inuyasha's gone. I just wanted to see him one last time before I put my past behind me." She put a hand on my shoulder and I gasped, first in fear and then in surprise. "Lady Kaede? You've aged quite a bit…"

"Yes, and I see you have grown up as well, although ye still shake like a trembling leaf." I nodded, "that's just part of who I am now. I've found a place in another demon tribe in the mountain valley north of the village. Although I had trained myself to attack and maybe kill humans if they dare to repeat what they did to my family, I still am scared."

"I have good news for ye. Inuyasha lives once again. Reincarnation of my sister, Kikyo, hath freed him from the arrow."

I looked up with interest, "Inuyasha… he's alive? My wish came true." I looked at her in the eye, "I wished every night I came to see him that he were alive."

"Ai, I don't understand it myself. Kagome, my sister's reincarnation, held the Shikon jewel inside her body. Mistress Centipede took the jewel and Kagome freed Inuyasha from the spell. He destroyed the Centipede, but he wanted the jewel for himself." I shrugged it off, "Half-demon Inuyasha… why can't he see that he doesn't need the jewel?"

"Well, he has a lot to live up to, that Inuyasha. His father was a demon among demons, one of the strongest there ever was. It's common for demons and even half-demons to want more powerful, it's the way of life."

"Well, it's certainly not going to be mine, humph." I turned my back, my arms crossed. I then saw that pink shine again. I gasped, "What's that?" I rushed to the pink light and I saw a little fragment of a jewel. A few lesser demons were crowded around it, looking to get it for themselves. They were smaller than me, so it wouldn't be a problem. I hissed, "Get away, that's mine!" I swiped my hands at them and knocked them out of the way. I grabbed it in my hand, took out my spear and killed them before they could strike back. I held it in my hand, wondering why it was glowing. "Oh, ye found a piece of the Sacred Jewel?"

"A piece? Did something happen to the jewel?"

"Quite by accident, Kagome shot a crow who had swallowed the jewel with an arrow and it shattered into 1,000's of pieces. Right now, she and Inuyasha are on a journey to get the rest of the shards back."

"But, what are they going to do with the jewel once they do that?"

"Well, Kagome will hold the shards so Inuyasha can't use them for his own selfish purposes. I strung a set of beads around his neck so Kagome will be able to keep on top of him. She simply has to say the word 'sit' and he stops in his tracks."

"Well, I guess that's all right." I looked at the jewel curiously. "I don't know why I had to get rid of those other demons to get this, but tigers are attracted to shiny objects." I sighed as I held it, "Inuyasha's a strong half-demon, I can tell. I wish I could be strong like him. The one thing I think needs more strength than anything else is my heart." I put the jewel shard to my heart and it dissolved into my skin. I put a hand to it and smiled, "That feels great."

"But, child, Kagome can see the Shikon shards. What will ye do if she finds ye hold one?"

"Well, if Inuyasha finds out about it, I'll hand it over, willingly. It's the least I could do. I just need to hold onto it a little bit longer so I can piece myself together." I smiled, "Now that I know Inuyasha is alive and roaming about, I'll have my chance to thank him. When was the last time that you heard from him and Kagome?"

"Let's see… they were heading north, actually, in search of more jewel shards." I gasped, "I should get home then, they might just pass through my valley, or at least the village to the south of it." I bowed in respect before taking off. I rushed to head back home and with the clouds that started coming in, I was able to use my fast tiger speed to get back to my tribe within the hour. I hung around the hill that separated the valley from the village in case I saw the familiar glimpse of his red coat. I watched and waited on that hill, but soon enough, I fell asleep.


	3. Unexpectedly Meeting Inuyasha

The next morning, I woke up suddenly when there was a chill in the air. I sensed a thunderstorm coming on. I put a hand to my heart to seek courage from the jewel shard. "Inuyasha, lend me your strength to get me through this upcoming stormy day." The warmness in my heart grew and it made me smile. I felt a lot better. A while later, my best friend, Raye came to bring me some food. I sat there and ate while the possibility of meeting Inuyasha, alive and in the flesh, crossed my mind. I felt myself drawn to him for some reason and I wanted nothing more than to make his acquaintance, if only one time while he's alive. Raye asked, "Princess, what has you so quiet?"

"I've just been daydreaming… about seeing an old friend."

"You mean that half demon who sealed to the Sacred Tree in the village to the south of us?"

"Well, to the east of that village anyway. He's alive, Raye, and I knew that my wish had something to do with it. That was my only wish through those 10 lonely years and it was all that I had to believe in. I figure that if my wish could come true, then anything's possible."

"I've heard from all over that this half-demon is becoming quite infamous. He's defeated countless demons with a powerful sword called the Tetsusaiga."

"Hard to believe he's only half…" I sighed, "Still… the fact I too, am half would give us something in common. Kind of an ice-breaker. Either way, I know that when the time comes, I'll have to be really careful. The only thing I know is the lulling of his heartbeat. If he's really as strong as the rumors claim to be, it's best not to get on his bad side."

There was a clash of thunder and I shrieked in fear. Lightning struck twice and I quickly ducked into my den. The 2nd bolt hit a local set of brush and it caught on fire. I heard someone calling for help from inside of it. I ran out from of my hiding place to get a closer look and they were two of the new cubs. I quickly jumped into the flames to grab them and rush them back into one of the dens. Their parents thanked me and I headed back out. It wasn't until then that I realized I had quite a few scorch marks all over me. The lightning continued and I grew more nervous, somewhat convinced that it was coming after me. I looked up and the clouds grew darker.

I stepped backwards. I had a feeling that the lightning would strike me then. I saw it starting to form and I took a step back. I gasped as my legs started slipping down the hill. I shrieked as I started rolling down the hill at an incredible speed. When I stopped, I landed just on the border of the village. Shivers ran down my spine as I saw the shadows of humans coming towards me. I didn't want to look at their faces, knowing that they just might come after me to kill me for stepping into their village. Their voices sounded angry enough. I curled up into a ball, holding onto the jewel shard in my heart. I shuddered when something suddenly came out of my mouth without me even thinking it. "Help me, Inuyasha! Please help me!"

Inuyasha's ears twitched. He looked outside and saw the clouds gathering. "Doesn't look like we'll be leaving for a while. This storm looks like it'll be nasty." Sango noticed something, "Inuyasha, don't you sense that demonic aura? This thunderstorm is too violent to be normal. Some demon is the cause of it." Kagome looked out the window next, "And I think I sense a sacred jewel shard." Inuyasha turned around to face her, as he grabbed hold of his sword, "Then I'm going. You coming, Miroku?"

"Yeah," he grabbed his staff and kept the prayer beads wrapped tightly around his right hand. The gang headed outside as the storm grew worse. Keilala growled and transformed into her full demon form; Sango then jumped on her back to explore the sky. Miroku, Kagome and Inuyasha followed the clouds to the border of the village. Lightning kept going and Kagome got more nervous. "You don't have to be so scared, Kagome, as long as I wield Tetsusaiga, none of those lightning demons will be able to directly attack us!" She turned her back on him, "Humph, fine! So I'm scared, I'm only human, you know!"

"Yeah, whatever… Which way are the jewel shards?"

"There's just one and it's straight ahead." Back in the skies, Keilala attacked the clouds with her flames and Sango threw her Hiraikotsu through the clouds, getting the lightning demons one by one. That's when the storm calmed down. The villagers started to gather on the border of the village.

Inuyasha suddenly stopped and his ears twitched. "What is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. He narrowed his eyes and looked around, "I coulda sworn that I heard someone call my name."

"What do you mean?" Miroku and Kagome both stopped to listen. Inuyasha heard it again, 'Please help me, Inuyasha!' He wondered curiously, "That's strange. I sort of recognize that voice, but I can't match it up with anyone."

"Where's it coming from, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"The same direction as the jewel shard." Sango and Keilala returned from the skies, "We took care of the lightning demons."

"Thanks Sango, but there's still the matter of the jewel shard."  
"Yeah, I saw a lot of the villagers gathering just ahead." Inuyasha took the lead and started dashing towards the villagers. He stopped when the voice had stopped calling to him, but he caught a new smell. "What is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she caught up with him.

"I smell blood… but it's unfamiliar to me. It's definitely demon blood, though and it's heading in that direction." He rushed to the villagers and asked, "What happened here?"

"There was a demon who fell from the hills, but she escaped." Another added, "Yeah, but she also seemed to be injured. She had burn marks all over her. She was shaking like a leaf one minute and the next, she ran for her life, but she was also limping."

Kagome said, "I sense the jewel shard in those hills up there."

"You don't think she might have the jewel shard, do you, Kagome?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha folded his arms, "I don't see why a demon with a jewel shard would just run instead of fight!"

"Hey, less talking and more running! She might need our help," Miroku jumped to the head of the group and rushed up the hill.

Sango narrowed her eyes, "Leave it to Miroku to want to save the day." The gang followed him up the hill. Inuyasha then took the lead as the trail of blood started to get thicker. "Whoever has the jewel shard is really bad shape, just look at all this blood."

I don't know what came over me. I was scared that the humans were going to attack me, so the only defense I had was to run. Somehow, my fall down the hill injured my right leg, so I had to resort to limping up the hill. I stopped on the top of the hill just outside my den. I laid down as I started nursing my leg. "Inuyasha? Did you hear me at all?" I wondered if he had heard me and if he and Kagome were coming this way. She probably sensed the jewel shard by now. I held my leg as the pain started to get worse. I couldn't search for Inuyasha like this, who knows what could happen to me in this condition. I then heard some people coming up and I gasped. I quickly hide amongst the bushes.

"I thought I heard something move in this direction…" A female voice called. "Yeah and the blood trail is leading in this direction." I gasped as I looked at my head; I didn't realize it was bleeding that bad. I was guessing that the 2nd voice was a demon because he was paying attention to my blood. I then heard him sniff, "yeah, it's definitely in this direction."

I knew it was a matter of time before they found me. I wanted to lick my wound clean, being a cat and all, but I also had burn marks all over me. I suddenly felt sick and I lay down on the ground. Then a twig snapped from under me. I gasped, wanting to take off, but the pain paralyzed me. I swallowed, curling up into a ball, hoping that they'd just pass me by. My face grew red and felt hot with nervousness. The footsteps grew closer and I shut my eyes as my heart raced. I stroked it and the jewel shard comforted me enough to slow my heart down. The footsteps then stopped briefly and rushed towards me.

"Inuyasha, over here!" Miroku beckoned him with his left hand. He put a hand on my leg, "she looks like she's been burnt pretty badly." Inuyasha approached and sniffed, "Humph, not a very strong demon if she's giving up over a couple of burns." Miroku reached a hand onto my leg and I cringed. "Inuyasha, her leg is broken." Miroku asserted himself.

I summoned up enough courage and strength to open my eyes. I saw a human, maybe a priest or a monk touching my leg. I gasped, "Human…" I inched away, but the pain paralyzed me, making me cringe. "Calm down, I'm just here to help you. You can trust me." The monk assured me. I looked at him and smiled, he seemed gentle enough. I put a hand to my heart, feeling it beat even faster.

Another voice called, "Hey, she's holding onto a jewel shard." I looked and saw a girl in unusual clothes for this time and age. It clicked; she could see the shard, so that had to be Kagome. I heard someone approach me and I gulped in fear. "I'll gladly relieve you of that shard. It's no good to you if you're this weak even with it." I held it closer, "I don't use this shard for fighting… it gives me comfort and confidence. It keeps my heart calm and warm." I looked up and gasped. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Inuyasha glancing at me with curious yellow eyes. I inched up as I saw him come closer to me. I held the shard for confidence.

I slowly forced a smile, "Inuyasha? Is that… really you?" His expression changed, "How do you know my name?" I trembled, "You're… you're really alive… just, just like I wished you would someday be."

"Huh? What are you going on about?" He wondered in a curious tone. I was breathless and I couldn't speak. The pain in my leg radiated through me and I forced myself to lay down. I grew weak and tired. I smiled up at him before shutting my eyes.


	4. The Connection's Still There

Miroku shook me, but nothing happened. "We need to take her back to the village with us to take care of her wound." He stroked my forehead, "She's running a fever." Inuyasha bent down, looking at the jewel shard that shined through my hand. Miroku asked, "Inuyasha, do you know this girl?"

"No, but I heard her calling for me before. How does she know who I am? And what was that business about me being alive and all?"

"Maybe she's heard about you." Kagome suggested, "you are becoming quite the talk, Inuyasha." He brushed it off, "Humph, anyway, I'll carry her back."

"Be careful of her right leg, Inuyasha!" Miroku warned him as he got me on his back. He braced my right leg, "I got it, Miroku. Let's head back in case more lightning demons come back." Kagome, Sango and Shippo followed Inuyasha and Miroku on Keilala. Kagome thought aloud, "Don't you think it's a little strange? Inuyasha would have ordinarily left a helpless demon; the only the strong should survive according to him."

"Well, the fact that the girl seems to know him must be proof enough. Besides, the demonic energy surrounding her is pretty weak."

"You don't think she might be half-demon, do you?"

"That must be it, why else would Inuyasha volunteer to carry her back?" Shippo climbed out of Kagome's backpack, having just awoken from his nap. Kagome wondered on, "and what's the deal with the jewel shard in her heart?"

"I'm not sure… but based on what just happened, I don't think we'll be able to take it from her. She seems to need it, even if it's not for power." Shippo also asked, "And why do you think she freaked when Miroku was the first person she woke up to seeing?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious," Sango muttered almost under her breath. Kagome shook her head, "She obviously had a bad experience when she was younger that gave her reason to fear humans." The gang found an small cabin on the northeastern side of town to camp out. Inuyasha laid me down on a thin, brown-skin rug made from wolf-hide. He then put a hand to my forehead and matched it with his own. He sniffed me for a brief moment, "She doesn't smell familiar to me, but her voice makes me wonder. It's like I've heard it in my sleep a long time ago…"

Miroku rushed in next to check out my leg, "I'll go get something to splint and bandage this up with. You get some water to wash out of the cut." Inuyasha sat on the ground, folding his legs and crossing arms, almost intent on staying there without moving. He thought to himself, 'Shippo or Kagome can do that. I'm going to stay here so I can get some answers.' Kagome returned with a bucket of water. Shippo rung out a rag and gave it to Inuyasha. Reluctantly, he rung it out and started massage my forehead with cold water. I mumbled, "Inuyasha…" making him even more uneasy. "I don't know what your deal is, but you've got quite a fever." He then wet the rag again and put it on my bruised leg.

When I felt cold water touch my exposed flesh, I shot awake in surprise. "Hey! You want to get this leg infected! Now hold still…" I looked up, feverishly. "Inuyasha… is that really you?"

"Yeah, what of it?" He demanded. I looked down, smiling, "you didn't just leave me there?"

"Well, it was the right thing to do, I suppose." He brushed it off. I looked at my leg as his clawed hands massaged it with a rag. "I didn't realize my leg was hurt that badly… I guess when I spend so much time being afraid, pain just seems secondary." He just kept massaging, not seeming to care; for some odd reason, he seemed annoyed. "Let me guess, Kagome would have gotten on your case if you hadn't brought me back."

"It's not like that at all…"

"Well, then what is it?"

"Just forget it, okay! I brought you back here and that's all that really matters right now." I sighed, "All right, fine."

"Not that it's any of my business or nothing, but what'd you have to be afraid of?"

"55 years ago, my tribe was killed by humans. They thought we were conspiring to steal the Shikon jewel for ourselves, when we really just want to be left alone. We're a pretty isolated race of demons."

"That would explain one thing. Sango, Miroku and Kagome aren't like that. We're just trying to collect the jewel shards."

"And do what? So you can become a full demon?" He brushed it off, "Yeah, so what?" I looked down, "Well, with the kind of reputation that you have, I wouldn't think that you'd need to get any stronger."

"So, my reputation is the only reason you know my name? It makes me really uneasy with you knowing who I am when I clearly have no idea who you are. Not that I care or nothin'…" I observed the movement he was making with the rag; they said otherwise.

"Being half-demon really isn't all that bad… I've been that way my whole life and even though I'm not as strong as some other half-demons, I muddle through anyway."

"Yeah! Well, I get crap from all kinds of demons about being half-demon. Even if I'm as strong as I am, it's never enough. They never think of me as my equal. My brother and I are constantly fighting with one another because he thinks I'm below him."

"Your own brother? That's gotta be rough."

"Yeah, well, I lived my life alone until recently. It's basically the only way I knew to protect myself." I looked up as I heard the door flap open, "Ah, so you're awake?" It was the monk. Remembering how gentle he seemed, I wasn't so nervous. I kneeled next to me and felt my forehead. "Your fever seemed to have gone down quite a bit."

"Well, I guess conversation has helped… even if it can be unpleasant at times. Not that I should be too surprised…" I laid back down as a chill ran down my spine. I slowly came to realize that Inuyasha wasn't at all I expected him to be. He was crabby on the outside, but the way he cleaned my wound said the complete opposite.

"Inuyasha, you've done a good job cleaning the wound. I think I can take it from here."

"All right, but don't pull any of that funny stuff that you do on all the other girls!" He got up and walked out of the cabin. I sighed, "Is he always like that?"

"Well, it just takes getting to know him to know his better side." He bandaged up my leg. "So, who are you, exactly?" I exhaled, feeling another feverish spell wash over me.

"My name is Miroku and I'm a trained monk. I always try to help the weak and wounded when I can because it's my job." He wrapped a thin, soft cloth around my leg and tied a thin, but sturdy piece of wood around my leg. "This splint should hold up well."

"Thank you…" I sighed, almost hoping Inuyasha would pop back in. "So, how do you know Inuyasha?"

"That news is only for him… Miroku." He knelt closer, "This might be bad timing, but when you recover, would you consider bearing me a child?" My temperature rose and I gasped. Without even thinking, my claws grew out and I shrieked as I scratched him across his left cheek.

Inuyasha rushed back in, "Miroku! I told you not to do that, what the hell is your problem?" He grabbed him by the collar and looked at the wound. He looked back at me and sneered, "you might not be that weak after all." He threw another rag at Miroku, "here, take this outside!" He looked at me as I was laying on my side, slightly curled up for protection. "I thought it was a bad idea to leave him alone with you. He can be such a…"

He stopped in his train of thought when he saw me starting to breathe heavily. "What's wrong?" He demanded, putting his hand back on my forehead. "Damn it, Miroku!" He shouted back outside, "You just drove her fever back up!"

Kagome rushed back in, "Hi, I'm not sure if you're up for visitors, but I'm Kagome."

"Yeah, I've heard about you… you can see jewel shards. I had a feeling that if we were to cross paths, you'd be able to sense the one I'm holding." I held onto my heart, but I suddenly felt weak.

"Inuyasha, make her more comfortable. That might help drive the fever down." He raised my head onto his lap and started massaging my forehead with another rag. "That idiot, Miroku, to think I could trust him to do one simple thing!"

"Well, he did cover my leg up pretty good."

"You gave him quite a clawing," He smiled, seeming impressed. I stopped to open my eyes. I could barely hear it, but I inched up. "What are you doing! Lay down before you get any worse!" I smiled, "This sounds like a really odd and weird request… but… would you mind if I listen to your heart for a moment?"

"How come?" He asked, not an angry tone, but a very curious tone. I sighed, "it might help lull me to sleep so I can sleep this fever away. Back home, we always sleep close together, so all we can hear is each other's breathing and hearts."

"Um… sure…" He blinked twice, seeming a bit confused. Kagome took my hand held me sit up me a bit more. I pressed my right ear back on his heart. I shut my eyes as my mind took me back to 55 years ago when I first "met" Inuyasha sealed to that tree. This time was a little different because his body was nice and warm. I happily sighed. I then felt a hand reach around and embrace my left side. I looked up at Inuyasha, who was looking at Kagome. I couldn't read the look on his face. I pressed my other hand next to his chest and I suddenly felt so peaceful.

Completely involuntarily, I spoke as memories flooded through my head. "My first night alone, I was only five-years old… I ran away as the humans ruined my home. I ran east, the full moon exposed and my human form visible. I ran to the forest east of the village, followed a pink light, and came upon a demon sealed to a tree. I got closer to him, close enough hear his heart… the lulling of it calmed me down. I visited him every night, each time finding the courage that his calm, pounding heart gave me." Slowly, but surely, I drifted off to sleep, Inuyasha's arm bracing my shoulder.

Inuyasha looked at me as I started slowly breathing in a sleep. "Um… now what?"

"Let her sleep, Inuyasha… she's been through a lot this past day." He sighed, "Fine…" He stroked my shoulder, "This sounds weird, but I don't think I could move if I wanted to. I mean, I don't want to."

"It sounds like she knew you because you were sealed to that tree 50 years ago. The poor thing…" Inuyasha put another hand to my forehead, "Well, at least her fever's gone down." He stroked my shoulder, "Kagome, you don't mind… I mean, just for tonight?"

"No, I'm just happy that you'd do that. I gotta say it's not like you…"

"Well, she is half-demon… a weak half-demon. Can't just leave her defenseless now, can I!" He defended himself. Kagome smiled, thinking, 'it's all part of his tough guy act…' She said, "Well, I'm gonna go outside, leave you alone for a bit."

"Yeah sure… just don't let anyone come in here, or I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Sure, but Inuyasha, keep it quiet." She pointed. He looked down, "Oh yeah…" When Kagome stepped outside, Sango asked, "So, how's she doing?"

"Well, she's asleep now, but otherwise, she's all right." She shot a look at Miroku, "No thanks to you, Miroku."

"Well, I figured I had to ask. I just didn't figure she'd be the type." He continued to wipe the blood from his cheek. "Inuyasha was being unusually overprotective…"

"Yeah, he said for me to keep everyone else out here. To let her sleep, I guess." Shippo and Keilala approached, "Do you think she'll be all right, Kagome?"

"Yeah Shippo… with Inuyasha looking out for her, she'll be just fine."

"If anything, it seems like Inuyasha has started to soften more towards her." Miroku added.

"Yeah, it's weird that way… must be after what he saw what she did to you." Everyone laughed at Miroku's expense.

Meanwhile inside, Inuyasha continued stroking my shoulder. He thought to himself, 'I don't get it. One minute I'm all bitter and testy and the next I'm totally relaxed. It must be that jewel shard. Who knew the jewel could be used for anything but power?' He slightly tightened his grip and shut his eyes. Kagome peeked in as the two of them slept. She smiled, "Aw, who knew that Inuyasha could be such a softie?" She took the wolf-skin rug and wrapped it around the both of them.


	5. The Morning After

I woke up the next morning, feeling a little better. I saw Inuyasha fast asleep right next to me. I continued to hear his heart beat as it did so long ago. I figured that it was time for me to take my leave. I slowly crept outside. I looked around as everyone was asleep. Miroku and the other girl were sleeping near each other with a cat on the girl's lap. The little fox demon was sleeping by Kagome in her sleeping bag. I figured it was a good time to creep away.

I made it all the way back to the hill and I sat down. I was so calm that it was unbelievable. Although it was rough at the beginning, I was glad to have met Inuyasha and listen to his heart one last time. I checked on the cubs that I saved from the fire and they seemed to be all right. Everyone came to ask me about my leg and I told them that Inuyasha and Kagome helped bandage it up for me. Raye stayed with me the longest. "Despite his attitude, in the end, he turned out not to be such a bad person." I took off to sharp my claws on some trees. I saw Miroku's face whenever I aimed at a tree. "The nerve of that guy, I could kill him, but that's not my place. He didn't do any physical harm to me, so it's really no big deal."

I headed back to the outside of my den when my ears perked up. I turned to my right and saw Inuyasha. I stood up, "What… what are you doing here?"

"What do you think! I wake up to find you missing so I came after you!"

"Oh, so you were worried about me?"

"Humph, yeah right. I only came after to ask about that jewel shard!" I blinked. He looked at the trees, "Sharpening your claws?"

"Yeah. That Miroku kept showing up so I murdered the trees, just thinking about that jerk."

"Well, can't argue with you there." I shrugged, "So, what… what was that act last night?"

"What act!"

"You know… you completely changed when you saw me getting worse. You actually embraced my request and even held me… where'd that come from? And you come up, claiming you weren't worried about me! How can you do something like that!"

For some reason, he seemed a little afraid, but he quickly regained his composure. "All right, fine, I felt sorry for you, okay!" He turned his back, arms crossed. "You don't have to get all bent out of shape over it!" I walked closer to him, "you sure do a lot of shouting." I almost said in a joking tone. "You know, you're not at all what I pictured you to be. I mean, when you're alive and about and stuff…"

"Looks can be deceiving…" He muttered under his breath. I sat down on the rock to the left of him. "I was only so young when it all happened. I didn't know if I'd ever get over what happened, not to mention if I'd be able to trust humans again. The truth is, the only way I knew your name is because the village priestess caught me standing by you one night. Maybe you know her, goes by the name Kaede."

"Yeah, I know her. What'd she tell you?" He demanded, but not in his usual 'barking' tone. I shrugged, "Just that you were after the Shikon jewel and her sister Kikyo sealed you to the tree. You looked so peaceful up there that I didn't, for an instant, suspect you to be such a troublemaker."

"Well, not all half-demons are weaklings like you!" He barked. I shrugged, "I guess I deserved that. I have been trying to be stronger, but it's really my heart that needs the strength." He eyeballed me and I looked back at him. I narrowed my eyes, "Let me guess, 'so, when are you going to give up that jewel shard, you worthless excuse for a half-demon'." I turned around and started walking away.

He gave chase, "Hey! I was going to ask about the jewel, but not that in that tone! Half-demon, full demon, it doesn't matter to me. I don't discriminate against anyone, unlike some of the jerks I've come into contact with."

"Besides your brother?"

"Well, yeah, my brother, Sesshomaru, and… oh yeah, that wimpy wolf, Koga, who's always flirting with Kagome. He totally gets on my nerves so much that I want to kill him." I pointed behind me, "that wasn't his hide, was it? Back at the cabin."

"Nah, Kagome wouldn't let me kill him. I'm just surprised that she's taking all this pretty well."

"What'd you mean?"

"You know how close we were last night…" A voice from behind us said, "Actually, I know it was just harmless. Besides, it's not every day Inuyasha is liable to do such a thing."

"Kagome! What are you doing here? I told you to wait back at the cabin!"

"Well, I had to come just to make sure you didn't get into a fight for that jewel shard."

"Hey, get off my back! It's not always about the jewel shards!" She rolled her eyes, "That's a first." She turned to me, "so, how are you feeling?"

"Well, I don't feel so sick anymore. I think I rested better last night than I have in a long time." I turned around and saw my friend, Raye, coming towards us, "Princess, we just brought lunch!"

"Princess!" Inuyasha and Kagome said at once. Inuyasha looked dumbfounded while Kagome looked impressed. I shrugged, "my mother was tribe leader… even if I am a weak princess, I plan on working on that. Oh Raye, this is Kagome and Inuyasha."

"Nice to meet you!" Kagome smiled. Inuyasha just stood there, arms crossed with a semi wave with one hand. Kagome went into her bag, "Actually, I brought a little food with me."

"No thanks, Raye, I'll hang out here for a little bit longer."

"All right, see you later, Princess Chihiro." She left quickly. Kagome smiled, "Well, it's about time. We just forgot to ask for your name." We went back down the hill to the village. The hair on my neck stood up as I saw Miroku. Inuyasha quickly got between us, "Don't you dare come near her, Miroku! Besides, next time, she might not leave you with just a scratch, if you know what I mean."

"Miss, I apologize." He semi-bowed. Kagome jabbed him in the arm, "Miroku, she's the princess of the tiger tribe that lives just north of the village. How dare you!" The other girl also joined on the jabbing. "I'm Sango by the way. No matter how hard I try," she put Miroku in a headlock, "This knuckle-head is always off flirting with other girls, but he's relatively harmless." I nodded, "I'm quite all right, thanks… all more of the reason to keep my claws nice and sharp."

Miroku cleared his throat, "So, how'd you sleep last night?"

"Pretty well, actually. My fever went down and I don't think I slept so well in a while." The fox demon approached, "I'm Shippo and this is Keilala." The little cat chirped. I smiled, "She's just so cute."

"Well, when she transforms, she can be quite the formidable demon." Sango said while stroking her. I sighed, "I guess that again proves that looks can be deceiving."

For a while, things were pretty quiet. We just sat there, eating. I thought back to last night as well as the previous nights while I slept by Inuyasha's side. I looked at him and he seemed to have been changed by that, at least a little bit.


	6. Inuyasha's Proposition

After the awkward silence, I decided to take a little stroll on my own to think. To be honest, I wanted to just go about my business again and move away from my weak side. I wanted to put everything behind me. I heard footsteps behind me and it was Kagome. I narrowed my eyes, "Why are you following me?"

"Oh, no reason. You just seemed really… I mean, quiet that's all. How's your leg?" I looked it and patted the splint, "It doesn't hurt anymore…" I looked at my arms, "I forgot that I was also burned. A lot about yesterday seemed to be a blur…" I held onto the jewel shard in my heart. "I just want to move on with my life and put those days of seeming weak behind me. While I was alone, I felt like I needed courage to keep going with my life. As strange it sounds, whenever I stopped by the Sacred Tree to listen to Inuyasha's heart, I felt so calm and confident about everything."

"So, that's what happened last night?" I nodded, "The moment I heard Inuyasha was alive, I really wanted to see him once more. I left early so I wouldn't detain him any more than I had to. He doesn't have time for helping helpless half-demons like me…"

"To be honest, I think Inuyasha went after you because he didn't want you to leave without saying good-bye." I turned my back, "I'm surprised he cared that much. He put on such an act last night and compared the way he treated me earlier that day, it just doesn't feel the same. This sounds ridiculous, but all of those years, I pictured him to be a lot different. He came off to be kind of a jerk."

Kagome smiled, "Well, you just need to get to know him. Trust me, we didn't hit it off when we first started traveling together. Somehow along the way, we molded into friends… or maybe more than friends, I really don't know. He's not really a bad guy, he just likes to put a tough guy act on for show; it's all part of the image."

"Well, I'm sick of being weak. The only way to put the past behind me is to move on with my life and that includes parting from Inuyasha. I know I can't always depend on him all the time. Besides, this tribe is going to count on me as their princess. I can't let them down like my last one. I need to get stronger and the way to do that is forget about the past."

"Have I really had that much of an effect on you!" A taunting voice called from the other direction. Inuyasha approached us with his arms crossed. "I accused you of being weak and suddenly, a half-demon who doesn't care about strength wants to get stronger."

"Inuyasha! Don't joke about something like this!" Kagome shouted. I said, "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? I left early before you got up just so I could be out of your life. I can't prolong my stay with you just because I need more confidence. That's something I have to earn myself."

"What's got you so wrapped up in a knot?" He wondered curiously. I groaned, "Just forget it… I'm going!" I marched past him when he grabbed my arm. "Let go of me!"

"No, you're not going to leave like this!"

"Like what? Angry at you? Without that jewel shard, yeah right!"

"Would you stop thinking that I'm thinking about the jewel shard!"

"Well, that's what you want, isn't it!"

"It's not like that…" Somehow, my shouting started to come off as balling. "You know, Inuyasha! Just leave me alone, all right! Before you start getting any ideas, I was going to give this shard over to you when I become strong enough to be without it! Right now, I need it just so I don't need you to shield myself from my past. Because of the way you flip-flopped last night, I might have changed my mind about that!" I grabbed the hand that was holding mine, dug my claws in and shoved it off.

"Inuyasha, sit boy!" Inuyasha suddenly fell to the ground, giving me the time to get away. He called, "Wait, come back!" I didn't know what came over me. I ran back to my cave and started balling my eyes out. I was furious with Inuyasha because he acted like he didn't care about me one minute and that he did the next. He wasn't at all how I imagined and I just wanted to forget.

"Hey, what'd you do that for!" Inuyasha called from the ground as he tried getting up. "Sit!" Kagome shouted as he fell back down again. "You know, you can be a real jerk sometimes."

"I wasn't going to ask about the stupid jewel shard, in fact, I don't even care anymore! She can keep it!" He got up and turned his back. "That little… I was just coming to explain myself and she goes off on me."

"Oh? Explain what, Inuyasha?" She asked with her arms crossed. He turned to the side, seeming to be in a daze. "It was probably the jewel shard, but somehow, I felt calm and relaxed last night as I slept. I didn't mind so much that I was sheltering someone I barely knew. I've never felt like that ever before, it was really weird…"

"Don't tell me you're starting to like her!"

"It's not like that! I… I'm just… I'm feeling guilty, all right! I liked that calmness and I wanted to know how it happened."

She sighed, "If it really means that much to you, I'll go talk to her." Kagome followed my tracks to the cave, "Hi, might if I talk to you for a bit?"

"Sure, but I'm not coming out!" I shouted from the darkness. I sighed, suddenly as my rage slowly evaporated. "I slept well last night because I felt like I was being protected. Because of how weak I am, I couldn't ask Inuyasha to waste his time."

"Actually, I think he's a bit confused himself about what happened last night. You gave him some level of calmness too and because he hadn't felt it before, it leaves him unsettled. Whatever you did to him, it might have shaken him up a bit and he just wants answers. He doesn't like to be left with questions because that just distracts him."

"I'm the kind of demon that puts others before herself, so I wouldn't want to slow him down by making him stay here any more than necessary. Besides, I could just be a lost cause."

"Don't say that! You don't know for sure!"

"Kagome, you and Inuyasha have some thing for each other, don't you?" She just nodded in agreement. "I thought so, I sensed the bond between you two. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that…"

"Kagome, mind if I take over?" My ears perked, "Fine Inuyasha, do what you must."

"Mind if we have a little privacy, Kagome?"

"Sure." I heard her footsteps leave. He sighed as I heard him sit by the entrance. "Last night was weird, but the feeling was familiar. Before Kikyo sealed me to the tree, we were… pretty close. Then somewhere along the line, she betrayed me. I didn't know what to think for a while, but I guess I might have felt a little distracted while I was sealed. Every night, I felt this sense of calmness that made me forget all about how I troubled I was over what happened with Kikyo. That's probably what was so weird about last night because it was a long time since I felt that. Humph, maybe it wasn't the jewel shard after all."

I crept out of the cave and looked at him. I looked down, "So, what happened between you two?"

"Well, Naraku had set us up against each other, so we're after him. I want to avenge Kikyo's death and if I had to give my own life to do that, then so be it."

"So, you're hung up on her even when you always have Kagome right beside you? What's going on with that?"

"Well, it doesn't really matter anymore. Although I can't forget about her, Kikyo's gone and that's all there is. Plus, Naraku's collecting the shards as well and it can mean doom for us all if he gets all the pieces."

"So, that's it?"

"What do you mean that's it! I just gave you a huge piece of information about myself and my purpose for collecting the shards!"

"If you're gonna be that way, I'll just go." I was ready to slip back into the darkness when he grabbed me. "Hold on a minute…"

I looked into his eyes and he looked like he was pleading. I blinked, "What's wrong?"

"Look…" he looked away, "would you like to travel with me for a while? That way, you can get stronger by learning from the master… and you also get to learn about the person who got you through the loneliest years of your life. Hell, when I was your age, I had no one to deal with the loneliness I thought I didn't have." He pulled me out of the cave and back on his chest.

I listened to my heart and shut my eyes, feeling the calmness return. He embraced me, "don't think of this as pity, but think of it as an opportunity. I'm not someone to extend this kind of invite…" I put my other hand on his chest. His heart didn't lie; he wanted me to come with him. I laughed, "All right, Inuyasha, you talked me into it."

He pulled me off the ground and turned me to face him. The look in his eyes was unlike any I've seen; it was calm, but determined. I blinked, "There's something… different about you."

He shut his eyes, "Yeah whatever." He stepped back and drew his sword. I gasped, almost thinking he was going to use it on me. I then looked again; it was a pathetic looking sword. "This is the ultimate proof behind the phrase 'looks can be deceiving.' Quite an interesting story is behind how I came to be in possession of the Tetsusaiga."

Kagome joined us and when she saw the sword was out, she looked nervous. "Inuyasha, what are you doing!"

"Cool it, Kagome! It's not what you think!" He stuck it into the ground. He folded his arms, "the one useful thing Sesshomaru ever did was show me where this sword is."

"Sesshomaru? What's he got to do with this?"

"Humph, he was seeking the sword and using some tricks, he made me reveal where my father's tomb was. The sword lay inside and was left by him to us. However, it was stuck in a stone just like this and neither of us were able to pull it out. Of course, heh, Sesshomaru was pure demon, so it burned his hand when he tried to draw the sword. Although it babbles me, even now, the truth is that Kagome was the only one to pull out the sword."

"Well, it was quite by accident…" She shut her eyes, laughing nervously.

"Still, even with the sword in my hands, it was so wimpy that it couldn't even cut wet paper. Somehow, while fighting Sesshomaru in his full demon form, I was able to awaken the power within it." He grabbed the sword and swung it. I immediately stood back and it transformed into what looked like a fang.

"This is what Tetsusaiga really looks like. It was fashioned out of my father's fang and later handed down to me, for some reason."

"There's more to it than that." Kagome pointed out. "Another reason why Sesshomaru couldn't wield Tetsusaiga is because he hates humans. Inuyasha couldn't get it to work for him until he accidentally said that he'd protect me…"

"Humph, I still don't get why I said that. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly through all the excitement."

"So, in other words, it can only be used to protect humans." I sighed, shrugging. Inuyasha stuck into the ground and folded his arms. "Try to hold the Tetsusaiga."

"What? Are you crazy? That thing must weigh a ton…"

"Look, take the sword!" I grabbed onto the sword while looking at Kagome. I pulled it out of the ground, but I was really unsteady under its weight. Inuyasha quickly grabbed the other end and grabbed the end I was holding onto. "Give it to me." He then put it back in the sheath. I fell backwards, "man, I thought you were strong, but that's… that…"

"Exactly…" He sighed, "looks like we've got a long way to go."

Kagome wondered, "Inuyasha, what are you talking about?"

"I've invited the princess to travel with us for a while, you know, train her up a bit. That was the first test to see where she stands."

"Inuyasha, I don't get it…" My arms still felt weak from the weight of the sword.

"Look… that'll be a measure of your strength through the time I'm gonna train you. If you wanna be strong like me then you'll have to learn how to wield a weapon like the Tetsusaiga. It's gonna be hard work, so are you up for it!"

"It's not like I have a choice." Kagome helped me off the ground.

"That's right, you don't! Becoming strong isn't all fun and games and you'll have to work harder than you have in your whole life."

Kagome looked dumbfounded, "So, you actually want to devote your time to something like that?"

"Humph, well, now that Naraku's gone into hiding again, I've got nothing better to do while we're looking for the jewel shards. Just don't think I'm gonna ease up at any point!" He turned his back and walked away.


	7. What Are His Intentions?

I blinked and looked at Kagome. "I don't think I'll ever be able to figure him out…"

"Yeah, that's so weird. Inuyasha has never trained anyone before… not that anyone ever asked."

"I didn't ask for this…" I moaned, "Humph, he makes it seem so easy so he can just rub it in my face."

"Well, looks can be deceiving. There was a point where the Tetsusaiga was nearly impossible for Inuyasha to wield, but I won't go into that just yet. He learned his lesson on his own and you'll have to also."

"Hey, are you girls going to just talk all day! Let's go all ready!" Inuyasha called from ahead. Kagome and I walked and I laughed, "Seriously, how do you deal with this guy?"

"In some strange way, he wants to help you, but I gotta say I have no clue as far as his intentions go." When we arrived back at the group, I narrowed my eyes at Miroku as I walked past him. He sighed, "Is there always going to be this awkwardness between us?"

"Yes! And you'd best watch yourself unless you want me to use you for target practice!" I hissed, making his face go white.

Inuyasha marched up to him, his expression determined, but calm. "Miroku, the princess is going to be traveling with us for a while as I train her to become stronger. Things will be a lot easier if the two of you work out a truce."

I walked up to him, shaking his hand. "Fine, truce… but you'd best watch yourself." He looked a bit nervous as I winked. I joined Kagome's side and Inuyasha turned his back on Miroku, "just keep your distance and things should go just fine."

Sango joined us at the front of the group while Inuyasha stood between us and Miroku. Sango looked impressed, "I don't think I've ever seen a girl scare Miroku this much before. How do you do it?"

"It's easy," I cracked my right hand, "just as long as I have these claws, I'll easily be able to deal with him."

"Look, as hard as it is to believe, there's more to it than talk! So, less talking and more walking!" Inuyasha barked from behind us. I whispered in Kagome's ear, "Is he always this annoying?"

"Yeah, but you get used to it. He always means it in the best possible way."

"Hey! Don't make me come up there!" Kagome turned her back, "Sit boy!" He then fell over. Raye ran out from the cave, "Princess, where are you going?"

"Raye, I'm off to train for a while."

"But we need you."

"Look, if I'm going to take over this tribe someday, I need to be stronger. Although it will be difficult, Inuyasha is going to help me do that." She still looked discouraged. "Don't worry, I'll be back… eventually. I promise." I hugged her before letting her go. Before completely leaving my tribe behind, I saw the two cubs I saved from the fire. I looked at them and immediately ran over to see them. The twin brother and sister looked sad. I smiled, putting them on the head, "don't worry guys, I'll be back."

"I don't want you to go. You protect us." They both said.

"When I come back, I promise that I'll be strong enough to protect you from more than just a brush fire." I hugged them both before taking off with Inuyasha and the others.

"So, those cubs were the reason you came to be in such bad shape?" Miroku asked out of the blue. I looked behind and smiled, "that's right. It was all that I could really do for them."

"I gotta say that I'm impressed. There's no doubt that you are brave." He continued with the compliments.

I sighed, "All right, Miroku, I forgive you." Inuyasha drifted back and started their own conversation. "Inuyasha, are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"What's there to question Miroku? She's a miserably weak half-demon that, for some odd reason, seeks the courage and strength I have. Besides," he folded his arms, "I still question the calm aura around her. It can't be just the jewel shard because the last time I felt it was when I was sealed to that tree. Nobody has ever made me feel that calm about anything and I need to figure out why her."

"But Inuyasha, if you are planning to use your Tetsusaiga to train her, what's to say she won't turn on you?"

"Humph, yeah right, Miroku. She practically worships me and I don't sense any danger coming from her direction at all."  
"Just saying that one can't be too careful." He shrugged.

Meanwhile, I was having my own conversation with Sango and Kagome. Sango spoke first, "I gotta say, I don't think I've ever seen Inuyasha quite so… well, it's just weird. You seem to be having some adverse effect on him. He's maintaining his usual attitude, but at the same time, he's breaking his own rules to take up on training you. I don't know what it is, but something about you is rattling him."

"Well, I'll have to see about that. I'm still unclear on his intentions. Whatever he did, he convinced me to agree to this. He's got the attitude, but when he feels like he's running out of options, he puts on this whole other face. I gotta say that I like seeing that softer side to him." I went off on a tangent, "last night he just made me feel so safe. It's not like I don't feel safe with him even when he's running on 100 proof attitude power… it's just easier to like him when he's being soft."

"Well, I know what you mean. I wonder sometimes if Inuyasha even sleeps because usually, he sits in a corner by himself with his arms folded. Usually, he sleeps with one eye open, so he's always making sure that we don't get attacked while trying to sleep. He's good for things like that." Kagome said.

I thought, "So, you said that you two didn't exactly hit it off when you met?"

"Actually, I came here through a mysterious well in Inuyasha's forest. For some reason, Mistress Centipede dragged me down the well because she was after the Shikon jewel inside my body. Although, I didn't know it at the time. Inuyasha woke up and I pulled out the arrow sealing him to the tree. He destroyed the demon, but then he came after me to get the jewel. Kaede strung those beads around his necks so I can "hold his spirit", so he won't be able to get the jewel. At one point, he figured that he needed me to help him find the shards of the jewel, although his intentions are still questionable."

"Yeah… why would he need the jewel? I still can't figure that out. We might never know."

"I don't think he knows himself, to be honest." Kagome laughed and I joined in. I sighed, "I think that you and I are gonna become great friends, Kagome."

"Yeah, I think so too. I think your fear of humans isn't going to be an obstacle once I'm through with you." She laughed. We continued to head north until night fell. We made camp and a fire. I warmed myself against it, rubbing my hands together. Inuyasha was sitting across from me and a few minutes after stoking the fire, I snuck a look at his eyes. It was like he was watching my every move to figure out how to read me. A bit nervous, I looked back into the flame.

Then, I saw the brush fire happening again. I rescued the cubs and rolled down the hills. Thinking back on that event led me to rub my splinted leg. "You okay?" Miroku asked, attempting to put an arm around me when Sango smacked him away. I then saw the events of the past reoccur again. I saw my mother and all of the tribe members die in the hands of humans. I saw myself hiding like a coward, but I was only so young, so it was only natural. I saw myself come upon Inuyasha, sealed to the tree and how he magically came back to life. I saw the fire and comfort in his eyes as he talked me into coming to train under him.

I stopped rubbing my leg and nodded to myself. I decided to take a little walk on my own. I lay on a grassy hill, looking up at the stars and the moon that was no longer full. I exhaled as my breath was visible. My ears twitched and I smiled, "Inuyasha, you can come out of hiding." I heard him walk towards me. "You know, I don't like being closely watched like that. Sometimes, I just need to be by myself to think."

"Hey, I hear ya. Mind if I join you to look at the stars?" I shrugged, "Sure, whatever."

"Just so you know… you don't _have_ to like me."

"I know, but I kinda want to. It makes things easier on me, considering… you know."

"Yeah, but sparring will come with part of the training. Just saying that you might wimp out because 'you don't want to hurt me', although I doubt that you can."  
"There's that attitude of yours again. It's just the thing to burn me up…"

"Oh, then maybe I'll just jab at you about how weak you are and really get on your nerves! Rage can become a good thing because it could be something to focus your energy. That's what brought you scratch Miroku as bad as you did." He laughed.

"Out of curiosity, with that attitude of yours, you might soon enough make an enemy out of me. Would you really want another enemy or another friend?"

"Humph, it's not like it matters, but with me training you, it might be better if we were… friends. In the end, you could very well become a formidable adversary, but you'd know better than to cross me."

I sighed, "Inuyasha, I promise that I wouldn't dare betray you. Seeing as you are a critical player in the race for the jewel shards, you've got enough to deal with. Besides, that would be the last way to repay you for what you're about to do for me. It's almost too much."

"Well, I'll say this much." I looked at him as he continued to gaze at the stars. "You're not as weak as you think you are."

"Quit pushing my buttons."

"No, I'm being serious. What brought you to want to become stronger to help defend your tribe as leader someday is your heart. You want to protect everyone at any cost. Your heart does all the talking." He made a fist, "I think it might have affected me in a weird way. It reached into mine and calmed my spirit. That could very well be the key to your inner strength. Still, it's going to take a lot more than that to prepare what other dangers lie ahead for your tribe."  
"Yeah. So… I gotta ask. Why do you want to help me? What makes you think I'm worth your time?"

"Humph, ask me again at the end of your training. It'll give you something to look forward."

"If you say so, but it sounds like you're toying with me."

"Well, for all you know, it could be part of your training." He joked, "Nah, we'll only train during the day unless I have a special assignment for you, but that won't come for quite a while." He shrugged, "Besides, nighttime sneak attacks aren't my style and that's sometimes how I end up in some of my toughest fights."

"Is that why you always sleep with one eye open?"  
"Yeah. It's always been that way. I grew up alone, so I learned to be on my own. More so, I have to now because Miroku, Sango and Kagome are with me."

"Since you're half-demon, what about on the nights where you… lose your powers?"

"Well… I've never actually slept on the nights I lose my powers." He then stood up in a huff, "It's not like I'm scared or anything. Sometimes, some demon attacks us when I'm mortal, but I somehow always make it through."

"Wow…" I could only whistle. "I'm kind of weird as a half-demon. The full moon is when I lose my powers, but I get them back whenever there's a cloud covering the moon. That was just a few nights ago, when I came back to the forest looking for you at the Sacred Tree." I sighed and laid back down. I yawned, "It's a nice night tonight, the perfect time to fall asleep under the stars." I shut my eyes and within a few moments, I was dead asleep.

Inuyasha looked back down and saw that I was sleeping. He knelt down and stroked my bangs. Then he got up and whispered, "What the hell am I doing? Anytime I'm alone with this girl, I just get overcome with calmness and generosity and stuff." He laughed, "All right, it's all right because tomorrow, I'm not going to be showing any slack." He sat down, folding his legs, carefully raised my head to his chest and embraced my with his left arm.

I woke up for a brief moment, seeing that Inuyasha was holding me again. I whispered, "Inuyasha… what…"

"You're going to need your strength tomorrow, and I'm going to need my patience. The best way to accomplish that is sleep in this manner and starting now, don't question me about this. I just think it's the best for the both of us." I put my other hand by his chest and I slowly fell back asleep. "Thanks for what you're doing for me and I appreciate it."

Meanwhile, Kagome and Sango spied the two of us sleeping. Kagome whispered, "It was like that last night too… what's going on?"

"I don't know, but I think I heard Inuyasha tell her that it's the best way for them to get sleep. I think it was his idea."

"It's something about what she does to him when she's that close. I just hope that this doesn't become a habit…"

"It's all about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, but with her, it could go either way. I'm not sure… Inuyasha has been unpredictable lately."

"But I do get a great vibe from her. I don't think we need to worry about her. I think she knows about my relationship with Inuyasha and she wants to be friends." She looked over and smiled, "Sleep well, Inuyasha and don't be too hard on her tomorrow."

As I slept by Inuyasha, everything felt so right. I felt at peace and completely relaxed and happy. I wondered on about what his feelings towards me were becoming. I obviously made a good impression on him if he allows me to be this close. As I listened to his heart comfortably beat strong, I swore to myself that I would never betray Inuyasha or become tempted to even try to hurt him if I really wanted to. I just want him to be alive so he could protect me and others like this forever. Even with what he has planned for me tomorrow, I knew that I could always think of his heart, so I won't be able to get too mad at him if he's a bit too harsh. But since he's so strong, I wouldn't expect anything less.


	8. Learning Too Fast?

When I woke up the next morning, all there was at the hill was a note and a blindfold. I read the note, "Here's your first test. If you can, remove your jewel shard and bury it here. Put on the blindfold and try to find me with your other senses. When my scent is the strongest, you may remove your blindfold. I will be unarmed."

I put a hand to my chest and my shard seeped out and into my hand. I dug a small hole and buried the shard. I had a feeling that he'd come back for it later, so I had to remember exactly where I buried it. I put on the blindfold and my hearing started to take over. I heard the wind blowing through the trees. I started sniffing the spot where we laid. I picked up Inuyasha's scent and my own. I followed his scent, my nose pressed to the ground as I steadily snuck along the ground. Then I picked up the scent of a fire and food that drove off my trail. I heard gasping as I wandered through the camp. A while past it, the fire diminished and I caught his trail again. It grew stronger as I followed it in a straight line. I came upon a tree and the scent went up.

I removed the blindfold and saw him sitting on the top branch with his back turned. I hid quickly behind the tree and started to steadily climb it, trying to be as quiet as possible. I was almost to the branch when a flash of red went past me. It automatically occurred to me that he went back to retrieve the jewel shard I left behind. I rushed through the grass and I pounced onto him as he was started digging in the ground. I pinned him to the ground with my claws and I growled. "I knew it! I knew you'd come back here!"

He laughed, "you think you know me so well, don't you?"

"Like hell I don't, you sneak!" I flexed the claws on my right hand and stretched them around his throat. "Hand it over..." I bared my teeth, growling. I looked as both of his hands were clamped shut. I sniffed to see which one had my scent on it and it was in his right hand. "Unhand it before I bite your hand off!"

He opened his hand and I quickly nabbed it with my teeth. I freed him from my grip and replaced it. I continued to bare my teeth at him as if I was a wild animal. He folded his arms, "Well, I guess you passed my first test."

"How'd I do?" I got back on both feet as he started walking away.

"Well, not bad for starters, but sometimes, you gotta be a lot quicker than that. I gotta say that your stealth act was good until you took the blindfold off... you need to maintain that strength even when you can see your target." He stopped, "as for just now, you're a lot braver than I gave you credit for. You dared to threaten me like a real demon, despite the fact you might have taken me to be your friend."

"Well, I figured that I had to put an a brave and strong face if I was dealing with you. You're pretty vicious."

"Yeah, but I'll get a lot worse further down the road... I went easy on you this time." He brushed it off. "After breakfast, I'll test how you deal with a fight one on one."

As we all ate together, it was silence all over. I kept seeing the events of the past half hour replay in my head over and over again. I wondered what would have happened if Inuyasha got nastier than he did. I also thought about what kind of sparring match this was going to be. Most likely, it would be like hand to hand combat, but I still wondered about the kind of move he was going to try on me. After finishing, I headed out to the center of the trees to wait for Inuyasha.

Miroku broke the silence, "So Inuyasha, what's your next move?"

"Well, I'm gonna try to see how she deals in a sparring match without any weapons but our claws and teeth. I think for a split second that I saw her eyes flash red when she was growling and seeming to be set on killing me for the jewel shard. Of course, I could have defended myself if I needed to."

"But Inuyasha, you know what it's like when your demonic nature is awakened? What's to say that doing so for her is wise? She could very well be a more vicious transformed demon than you are."

"Humph, I doubt it, but I think I could handle it if it comes to that." He cracked his knuckles, "It's been a long time since I last transformed, but its good that I at least know how to wield the Tetsusaiga and invoke its Wind Scar now." He smiled, "I'll be back…"

Kagome rushed past him and over to me. "Do you mind if I hold your jewel shard for a while?"

"Sure," I patted my chest and the shard returned to my hand. I put it in hers, "Just keep it separate from the other shards you've collected and do that little trick of yours to make sure Inuyasha doesn't get it."

"Sure." She smiled, "Sure thing." Inuyasha walked over, handing his sword over to Kagome. "Hold Tetsusaiga for me." He marked up to me, his expression solid with no smile whatsoever. He looked me straight in the eye and I just narrowed mine to make it look like I wasn't intimidated. I let my demon blood calm me down a bit and take control of the situation.

"All right," He took a step back, "I'll take 10 paces back and then I'll come at you." He turned around and walked ten steps back. He turned around, giving me his killer stare and rushed over to me. He swung his right arm back, "Iron reverse…" I quickly bent backwards. "Soul-stealer!" I leaned my left leg forward and swept his legs from under him. He screamed in surprise but instead of falling backwards, he did a back-flip and ended up back on his feet.

He gave back at me again in a run, but a few seconds before he got to his mark, I jumped above his head and kicked him in the chin. He was knocked backwards, but he leaned forward, putting one knee on the ground to stabilize himself. He wiped his mouth of what looked like blood. He nodded, but came at me once more. He reached his hand for his 'Iron Reverse Soul Stealer' attack, but this time, I grabbed him back by the wrist and flipped him on his back.

I put my left foot on his chest as he looked up, seeming to be out of breath. "Have enough yet!" I laughed until I felt him grab my ankle; he swept it and I ended up on my back too.

"Rule #1: Don't ever ask me if I've had enough. I've fought to the death several times and I wouldn't make an exception even for you." He stopped panting, "Tell me the truth. Are you pulling my leg? Are you really as weak as you claim to be? Because based on what I just saw you do… you've got a lot of fight in you. It's almost scary…"

"Really…"

"And I said _almost_!" I shrugged, "Ok, whatever." I panted, "So, I didn't break anything, did I?" He touched his mouth, "No, my fangs are still in good working order, but I think one of them might been jammed into my upper lip. I guess we can move things up a notch or two." He flipped himself back up and helped me back up. I sighed in relief, "I'm just glad I knew to use my left leg and not my right…"

"Yeah…" He exhaled, still seeming a little exhausted. "It's like your leg isn't slowing you down at all."

"Yeah and I keep forgetting that it was injured just the other day. It's like when I'm fighting, I just forget everything and just focus right on it." He folded his arms, sighing in thought as he shut his eyes.

"What's up?" He moved his hand in a shoeing motion, "It's nothing, just… get my sword from Kagome and get two large sturdy sticks so we can work on your swordplay."

"Are you sure you're okay?" I wandered closer to him. He then shouted with rage in his eyes, "Look, just do what I say! Don't argue with me on this!" I backed off, "Ok, ok…" I muttered as I walked away, "what's got him so worked up?"

Inuyasha started to pace around nervously. "This seems oddly familiar… I've been here before." He thought back to when he first transformed and he liked the idea of killing. The third time it happened, he didn't know what he was doing when he was going it. He then brushed it off, "Nah, paranoia never got me anywhere. Besides, the same isn't true for all half-demons." He cracked his knuckles, "Still, I was coming at her at the half speed I usually do and she was dodging me and reacting to me almost at the same speed as Sesshomaru or Koga. She might be more demon than she led me to believe."

When I got back, Inuyasha was still in deep thought. I put the sticks down on the ground and I drew the sword, Tetsusaiga. I took a few steps back and I snapped my right wrist as the sword transformed. He shouted, "Hey, be careful with that!" He stepped back as I swung it over my shoulder. I prepared to brace myself for the weight, but the weight had diminished quite a bit. I raised it up, "Well, it's not super heavy anymore, but I think the weight might have lessen a little bit." I handed it over to him, but he hastily took it and put it away, tossing it aside.

"You can't handle a sword like Tetsusaiga without first learning the basics of swordplay! Toss me a stick." I picked my own up and tossed him the other; he caught it with one hand, seeming to be a little annoyed. He swung the stick at me and I blocked it with my own. He swung again and I blocked it. For the next hour, we went back and forth, swiping and blocking. He did it with one hand while I used both of mine. As time went by, he progressed and started getting more aggressive. I had no choice but to maintain my cool and take the 'punches' as they came. He finally decided to give up a while later. He dropped his stick, putting his arms on his knees, panting.

A few moments later, he started laughing. "I don't know how you're doing it, but you're progressing better than I could have ever imagined." He picked up Tetsusaiga and tossed it to me. "Here, practice with this. I gotta go take a breather."

I started swinging the Tetsusaiga around and it had gotten so much lighter. I then started using it with one hand and it didn't make a difference. It was so easy to wield that it wasn't funny.

"Are you positive!" Inuyasha demanded of Kagome. She went into her pocket and held out the one jewel shard. "She handed it to me from the start, she's doing this on her own."

"Because there's no way she can get this good all ready! She can fence like she's been doing it her whole life. Either she's been lying or something weird is going on! She's dealing with the same level of calmness that Sesshomaru does… that's… that's not right…"

Sango joined in on the conversation. "You know, Inuyasha, I've been picking up a growing demonic aura right around here."

"Then why haven't I sensed anything!" He asked flat out. Miroku walked over with his arms crossed, calmly saying, "It's pretty obvious. You've been blinded to the truth, Inuyasha because you've insinuated yourself into this. You're too close to the matter."

"Miroku, I'd so love to hurt you right now!" Inuyasha barked. Kagome decided to head into the woods. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To return the jewel shard. You guys have had enough today."

"Kagome! We still have a few hours of daylight left!"

"Inuyasha, sit." He fell over. "Kagome…"

"It's obvious what's going on here. You're being a sore loser." She walked off. He slowly got off the ground, "I am not a sore loser!" He narrowed his eyes, "But something weird is going on."


	9. Chihiro Snaps: Part 1

I stuck Tetsusaiga in the ground and let it return back to its normal form. I looked behind me and saw Kagome coming back with my shard. "Hey, I hear things are going pretty well."

"Yeah…" I crossed my arms, "a little too well. I didn't think I'd catch on this fast."

"Apparently Inuyasha didn't think so either. I wanted to give this back. I think you two have had enough training to last for a couple of days." She handed it to me and I held it as it shined in my hand. I grasped it and put it back in place. I sighed in relief, "Now I feel better… I guess I've held it for the past few days now that it's kind weird to be without it." I looked down, feeling a little discouraged. "Maybe I'm not so sure if I want to give it up to you and Inuyasha… I feel like I need it."

"What do you mean?"

"Something happened when I was training with Inuyasha. I feel like I changed or I was just getting too strong for my own good." I clenched my fists.

"This sounds kind of familiar… something similar happened to Inuyasha. When his Tetsusaiga was broken by an incarnation of Naraku, he was badly injured and transformed into a full-fledged demon. The third time he transformed, he fought and killed no matter what the cost."

That's when I spotted Inuyasha walking back over to us. "Inuyasha?" We both said at once. He walked past us, picked up the Tetsusaiga and restored it to its sheath. "You know what? As long as you don't use it on any of your other body parts, I suppose its all right to keep that shard where it is."

"Were you listening in on our conversation?" We both demanded at once.

"Yeah…" he sighed, "I'll be back. I just need some time to think." A few moments after he left, I asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I just think Inuyasha's just got some inner demons to deal with. I mean, after his third transformation, he was really tormented because he killed humans and was unable to stop himself."

"Do you think he's afraid that I'll turn into what he almost did?"

"Either that, or that… nah, he wouldn't be afraid that you'd come after him."

"Yeah… I were sooner kill myself than hurt Inuyasha, especially after all that he's done for me." I held the jewel shard, "I guess because I used the shard for strength and not power, it's the one thing keeping my heart pure. It needs to stay that way or else, I don't know what I'd do. Besides, I can't reign as princess or tribal leader if my heart isn't pure."

We headed back to the camp site to have dinner. I waited around for Inuyasha to come back, but he took a really long time. I looked up and the moon was still pretty full. When it was it in the middle of the sky, I decided that it was a good idea to look for Inuyasha in case he got himself into any trouble. I followed his scent until it was interrupted by the scent of a stronger demon.

I followed the scent until I came upon them. Inuyasha was bound to a tree with what looked like a yellow/green whip. The person holding the other end had the full demon scent. I looked closer and I suddenly realized that was Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother.

I lay low in the grass as I listened to him. "So little brother, try and escape from this."

"Humph, Sesshomaru, no matter what you do to me, I'm gonna fight back. You'll never get my Tetsusaiga!"

"I'd be more careful about what words I'd use, especially in the face of a full-blooded demon such as myself. I keep telling you that you should know your place, half-breed." He sent an surge through the whip, tightening his grip around Inuyasha. I gasped when I saw that a strand was bound around his neck. He didn't faze in the face of danger; he just kept growling and staring at Sesshomaru head on, but he did look like he was running out of time.

I crept through the grass when Sesshomaru turned in my direction. "I've caught a new scent, little brother, that seems unfamiliar to me. Find another mortal to do your rescuing?"

"Humph, yeah right. Besides, not all of my friends are mortals!" That was my cue; I pounced and slashed the whip in half. I rushed quickly to Inuyasha's side as I used my well-defined claws to slash the threads around his neck and his arms. From there, I stood back as he freed himself. The threads then cut the tree he was bound to and I kicked it so it was knocked backwards.

I glared at Sesshomaru as I walked towards him slowly. Inuyasha shouted, "Don't be stupid! You don't stand a chance against Sesshomaru!"

"I'll show you what it's like when someone can actually fight back!" I charged at him, aiming to slash him, but he ducked away from my grasp a few seconds early. I stood on all four and hissed at him. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "When I'm through with you, you'll see that half-breed or not, Inuyasha is your equal, not below you like you think he is!" I pounced on him. He tried to bring out his whip again, but I grabbed the hand holding it, digging my claws in. I forced myself onto him and actually knocked him on his back. I brought the claws on my right hand around his neck. "I'm going to kill you, you know!"

"Hey! This is between me and him and I'm the one who'll finish him off!" Inuyasha shouted from behind him.

"No way! Not so he can get you in another situation like that again!"

"I could have taken care of myself. Your blood isn't worth the same as mine to him, so don't bother!"

"The hell it ain't!" I grabbed his neck and dug my claws in. "Half-breed or not, that doesn't make us below you!"

He laughed, which was unusual considering the position I had him in. "Foolish girl… I can see it in your eyes. You're more demon than Inuyasha is. I recognize you as the daughter of Kirakotsu, the great tiger demon, but your father was more demon than he led you to believe."

"I never knew my father so why are you making such accusations? You're no position to accuse me of what type of demon I am!"

"I see you have a calmness that only demons such as myself have in battle, but you're also like Inuyasha too. Your father was half-demon…" He shut his eyes and noxious fumes came from his mouth and his claws. Then he forced me off of him. I staggered backwards as he shot up, taking his whip and slashing the splint surrounding my leg. I shrieked in pain, holding onto it.

"Your eyes betray you, Princess Chihiro of the Tiger Demons. You're the product of a demon and a half-demon, but you're far from being a normal half-demon like Inuyasha. You're also far beneath me in rank, same as my brother. Your hide isn't worth anything to me. Remember your place!" He continued to whip me when I saw a red blur go back me.

"Sesshomaru, leave her out of this! Iron-Reverse Soul!..." Before he could make the final hit, Sesshomaru made himself disappear and he took off into the night. I was laying on the ground, but I was fighting with everything to get back up. I shrieked at the stars, "I'm not finished with you, Sesshomaru! I'll kill you if it's the last thing I ever do! Come back you coward! You bloody coward! Bastard!" The hair on my neck continued to stand on end and I didn't want to stop the fight. I wanted to run to find him and finish him off. The only thing stopping me was my leg, but I refused to let it slow me down. I started crawling to the spot where Sesshomaru disappeared and Inuyasha stood, watching me with eyes whose expression I couldn't determine. The pain was blinding me as I dragged my right leg behind me.


	10. Chihiro Snaps: Part 2

I whispered, "That cowardly bastard…" as I slowly came to a stop. Inuyasha knelt down, asking in a curious tone. "Would you mind me asking; Just what did you think you were doing!"

"What do you think! Saving your life because that's what friends do!" He turned his head away, "I told you not to get involved. Sesshomaru is out for my head and I'll be the one to have his. It's not your fight."

"He talked about me like he knew me, but he didn't know anything about my parents! Who's he to act like he knows what I'm really like? I sure as hell don't know." I flipped over on my right side, eyes narrowed and my body shaking. "Sesshomaru must pay…"

"What the hell were you doing out here anyway!"

"You didn't come back for hours so I was worried, okay! Is that so hard to comprehend?" I growled as the pain rushed through my veins.

I shrieked in pain; I reached for the shard in my heart for some level of comfort. "Go right on ahead and don't thank me, you ungrateful jerk!"

"Shut up! Did I ever say that I wasn't grateful! Besides, it's not like I needed your help."

"I saw it in your eyes; he was a few seconds away from completely cutting off your air! You know that you were near it! Don't lie!" My eyes teared with the pain that seared through me. I still wanted to fight, but the pain paralyzed me.

"It's not that I'm not impressed or nothin', but you could have gotten yourself killed! Sesshomaru is too dangerous for someone like you to handle."

"Someone like me? Like what? A princess? A half-demon?"

"No, someone who's still recovering from a previous injury! You know, though, I was once in a condition like yours. Koga broke the bone in my arm with a kick from one of his legs that had a jewel shard. I had to handle Tetsusaiga with one hand, but couldn't use the Wind Scar. Even when I was mortal, I kept fighting until either I just can't fight anymore or the sun comes up and I'm half-demon again."

I hissed again as the pain continued to paralyze me. I whispered, "Inu… yasha…" I shut my eyes, unable to move. I gasped as breathing got more difficult. I whispered, "Help… get me help… help me…"

"Hey, are you okay?" I narrowed my eyes, "What you think, idiot?" I let that last wave of pain knock me out.

Inuyasha shook me again. "C'mon, don't faint, you stupid girl." He shook me, but got nothing. "Damn…" he felt my forehead and the fever was back. "Damn it to hell… Sesshomaru, next time we meet, I'll kill you myself!" He shouted to the sky as he got me on his back. As he saw me get worse, he thought to himself, 'just hang on until I get to camp.'

He arrived back at camp where everyone had been sitting around for the fire. Kagome asked, "Inuyasha, what happened?"

"Sesshomaru happened… princess here nearly got herself killed when she arrived to save my life."

"Save your life?" Everyone shouted at once.

"Well, I won't admit it, but that's the way she put it. She saw the position I was in and the only thing she knew to do was go right after Sesshomaru. She just barreled in there without even thinking."

"But isn't that what you usually do, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked. He smacked him on the head. "That's not the point." He folded his arms as he sat down next to my body. "I think that if she had reacted faster, she could have actually killed him then. She was on top of him and had her claws digging into his throat. I hadn't ever gotten that close to killing him. She was so furious and had so much rage over his view of half-demons. You know what that bastard did?"

"What?" They all asked at once.

"He laughed right in her face, like he wasn't even afraid. But it's like full-demons are able to remain calm in the face of danger. Still, I'm not sure what the case with the princess is… Sesshomaru said that she might be more demon than she told us. He said her father was half-demon…"

"Well, she seems to be an unusual half-demon." Miroku said.

"In so many way ways, though, she's like me. She was willing to fight until the bitter end and it was all to protect me. Not that I've known any princesses, but I don't think I've ever seen so much fight in one before. It's not that I like having some girl fight my battles for me, but I gotta admit that I'm getting concerned." He patted my forehead, "her fever's getting worse…"

I opened my eyes as I felt a hot hand on my forehead. "What the… what happened…" I tried getting up, but the pain returned.

"Don't move, you're gonna knock yourself out again!" I shook under the pain, "Damn that Sesshomaru, I'll hunt him down if it's the last thing I do." I growled, but nothing was gonna help.

"See what I mean? I've never seen as much rage in anyone before. Sure, I've been furious, but not so much that I'm still in it after I get knocked out. She's willing to go all the way to finish what she started."

"Must kill…" I couldn't speak; I shook all over while Inuyasha massaged my forehead with a wet rag. "Try not to move if you want to make it through the night."

"Inuyasha…" I started to drift out of consciousness again. "Inuyasha…" I mumbled, deliriously.

"What? What is it, Chihiro?"

"You… you said my name… Inuyasha… don't… leave me."

"I won't leave you tonight… or unless you release me from your will. I'll see you through this and make you as strong as me. Then we'll go after that bastard Sesshomaru together…"

As weak as I was, I was still fuming with rage and I felt like it was driving my fever up. He massaged my forehead as I muttered, "It won't stop… rage fuming inside… of me…" Kagome grabbed my wrist, "Her blood is racing like crazy."

I felt my eyes glowing with the rage. "My demon blood… it wants me to finish the job… now… it's controlling me. Can't… let it." I felt something tie around my leg. I looked down and saw Miroku putting on the finishing touches. "All right, all bandaged up again, you just can't move it for a few more days."

"But…"  
"No buts! You're gonna lay down and relax until your leg heals!" Inuyasha barked. I sighed, "Fine…" He then looked at me in a weird way, "you know, you're really starting to creep me out. You're sounded like me just now…"

I shut my eyes, "I've been hanging out with you for three days… I've seen nearly nothing but you for three days… I think it would make sense."

I groaned as I turned on my back. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Inuyasha… are you gonna keep asking stupid questions or are you going to help me?" I moaned, "I gotta find a way to calm down, otherwise, there's no way I'll be able to sleep."

Inuyasha grabbed my wrist and put it to my heart. "Feel the jewel shard inside of you and draw your calmness from it. It always worked for you before."

"Yeah," I held onto it. "Before today, I never thought I could be so… I guess I didn't know I had that kind of strength and courage to take on Sesshomaru, one of the most powerful demons known. I was always rational before, but now… I think I'm bordering on insanity."

"Humph, not if I can help it." He smiled, but it wasn't his usual smile. It was more relaxed and kind of happy. He dragged me with him until his back was against a tree. "What are you doing?"

"Just chill, will ya!" He helped me up until my ear was resting on his chest. I placed my other hand next to it, his left arm embraced me and I slowly drifted off to sleep. The last thing I heard him say, "Don't worry, I'll protect you… just like you were only out to protect me. It's the least I could do to repay you…"

Inuyasha held me, as I grew more feverish, he tightened his grip. Miroku cleared his throat, "Inuyasha, do you really think you'll be able to kill Sesshomaru?"

"Well, I sure as hell will try. Humph, first he uses my mother against me and then he continues to try stealing my sword. There's no excuse for this…" He sighed, looking down at me. "It's weird. At times, she gets on my nerves, but at times like this, I feel like I have to protect her. There are even times that I worry… and I'm not the worrying type either."

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Kagome wondered.

"She might be heading down the same path I did, where I was always seeking power and to kill others when I was in my full-demon form. I think she's getting closer to that dark place that I was almost in… if she gets there, who knows what could happen?" He looked up, "Despite what she says when she won't betray me, there's always that possibility that her demon blood could convince her otherwise. More importantly," he looked at everyone around him, "she might come after you guys because you're human."

Kagome gasped, "She might even come after you when you're mortal… then what?"

"Well, I'll have to make sure that everything gets sorted out by then. I'm not going to take any chances. If my life's at stake or anyone else's is, I'm not so liable to hold myself back from doing everything I can to protect everyone." He looked at the sky, "the new lunar cycle is still a long time away, but I can't take any chances if it comes to that."

Miroku stretched his arms, "Well, I think its best to turn in for the night."

"You go ahead, I'll be up a while longer." Inuyasha said. Shippo was waiting by Kagome's sleeping bag, "You coming Kagome?"

Inuyasha eyed her and straightened up, "Wait Kagome…" He inched over, "there's always a little room over here if you don't mind being out in the cold."

She nodded. She brought over a blanket to cover the three of them up. She settled herself just around Inuyasha's right arm. "I wouldn't want you to feel left out," he muttered.

"It's all right, Inuyasha. I know you're only trying to help her. It's really sweet of you."

"Phh, yeah whatever, just don't get used to it." As Kagome drifted off to sleep, he looked around, seeing he was the last one up. He sighed as he looked at me. "If things get too out of hand, you could come after any of us. I'll do whatever I can to keep that from happening. Especially you, Kagome. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. I already lost Kikyo; I'm not going to lose you too." He whispered, "I love you, Kagome," just before drifting off to sleep.


	11. Meeting Koga

I woke up when the sun rose. I looked around, seeing Kagome resting her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. I smiled, thinking, 'that's so sweet…' I was lying on the ground. I rubbed my head as if I had hit it. I went to get up, but a pain dragged me back down. I saw my right leg bandaged up again. I looked at the burnt out campfire and lay down again, a hand rubbing my bandaged leg. I drifted back to sleep for a few more minutes.

"Hey, how'd you get over here! You weren't trying to run away, were you?" A prying voice asked me. I turned around and saw Inuyasha. I smiled, but it was a guilty smile. "I don't know… I wasn't trying to run away or anything." I rubbed my head, "Ah… I feel like I hit my head or something. I don't remember… anything about last night." I looked up at him and his face was still fixed.

"Well?" I wondered.

"What?"

"Weren't you gonna say something?"

"I wasn't gonna say nothin'…" He crossed his arms, looking away, acting like he didn't care. I groaned, holding my head, "Aren't you gonna throw a random insult at me, or something?"

"And why would I do that?"

"I don't know…" I rolled on my back, "cuz that's the kinda person you are?"

"Trust me, I'm not all about insults! I've got actions to back up my words and I proved that well enough last night."

"Remind me again what that was again." I sat up, rubbing my right leg. I shut my eyes, trying to concentrate, but nothing came out. "I can't remember a thing about what happened last night… did I do something I shouldn't have or what?"

"That really doesn't matter, does it? The only thing that matters is that we're both in solid form… for the most part."

"So, why were we huddled together last night while sleeping? Did my fever come back or did I get myself into some kind of trouble?"

"I think it's best that you just forget all that and just focus on healing that leg of yours." Kagome opened her eyes, "Inuyasha…" She yawned, "Good morning."

"Hey Kagome…" She looked over at me, "hey, what are you doing over there?"

"Exactly what I said," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly. I rubbed my head, "I told you I don't know. I don't remember anything about last night…"

"Nothing at all? You got in the middle of a fight between Inuyasha and someone else and your splint was destroyed; your fever also came back. We were really worried." I looked into Inuyasha's eyes. "What?"

"Inuyasha… you… weren't worried, were you?"

"Humph… no way…" I let out a giggle, "You're such a liar…" Suddenly my leg gave way and the pain returned. I gasped in pain as I was lying on my side, holding my leg. Inuyasha rushed over and undid the bandage. My leg was swelling as if the blood in it had been poisoned. "How the hell did this happened!" I shrieked in pain.

Inuyasha sat on the ground to stabilize me. He shouted, "Kagome, get some of those herbs from Miroku and hurry!" He then said to me, "Just hang on, help's on the way."

I started to whine, "Who? Who did this to me? Who'd inflict this much pain?"

"You don't remember anything about who you fought or what happened?"

"I already told you that!" He sighed, "the only one I know to have this kind of poison is a moth demon or… Sesshomaru."

"Your brother?" I hissed in pain. "How?"

"Never mind that now!" He barked as Kagome handed him the herbs. He lined them along the bandage and reapplied it to my wound, tying it good and tight. "That should do it." I let myself go limp into Inuyasha's grip to let the pain slowly ease away. I sighed, "What did I do?"

"Well, this probably wouldn't have happened if you had just stayed out of my fight with Sesshomaru!" It then came to me, "I tried to… I was…" I panted, "I don't know what came over me, I just…" I sighed.

"So, you don't remember anything at all?"

"No… it's like there's this blank space between when Inuyasha left and when I woke up this morning…" I sighed, "That must be why my head hurts so much…"

"Well, Inuyasha said that you were really… how'd you describe it?"

"It's like… you were a completely different person. Sesshomaru had me tied to a tree and you thought he was on the verge of killing me. You attacked him, pounced on him, and were seconds away from clawing his throat open."

"Oh my god…" I panted, "What would possess me to do something like that?"

Kagome volunteered to answer me. "Inuyasha said that you did it to protect him."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's not like…"

"If you weren't in such a panic over me last night, you wouldn't admit to something like that." I said in amazement. I then thought, "I just wonder what possessed me to go into overload like that. It's like my demon blood was controlling every little thing I was doing. I think I went absolutely crazy when I saw Inuyasha in that position. I was going to do everything in my power to kill Sesshomaru so he wouldn't have another chance…"

Inuyasha stood up and drew his sword. "I want to see something." He handed it over to me. He helped me up and I snapped my right wrist to transform it. I raised it, took a hold of it with my left hand and slashed it down. "It's gotten lighter… much lighter…"

"Either you're a fast learner or it just took the right amount of fight to built up your strength." I handed it back over and he drew it back, retying the sheath to his belt. "Your training will be complete when you master the Wind Scar…"

"Well, since this will take a few days to heal, would you mind telling me what the deal is with using the Tetsusaiga as part of my training?"

"Sure, might as well." He brushed it off like it wasn't any big deal. Kagome helped me walk back to the camp site.

Inuyasha pretty much explained that when his sword was broken, he transformed into demon form and got his first taste of killing. Whenever he was parted from Tetsusaiga, his demon nature took over in order to protect him, but it progressed and got worse. He wanted to kill at any cost and it got to the point where he couldn't remember killing a group of bandits. He sought the help of Totosai, the maker of Tetsusaiga, and to match his father's strength, he had to destroy the demon his father couldn't kill, Ryuukotsusei.

I sighed, "I wonder if I'm going through the same thing…"

"Well, if you had reacted faster, you could have killed Sesshomaru last night." Inuyasha brushed it off. "That just proves that you weren't quite all for killing one of my greatest adversaries. Something, your conscience, was holding you back."

"Do you think I should have?"

"Well, yeah… but I'd prefer to take care of him myself." He then looked at me quite curiously. He shrugged, "I just can't get over how far you were willing to go to kill him. Even when you were down, you fought with everything you had to get back up and kill him." He forced a smile, "I mean, you were absolutely furious and cursing him off. Almost like you were a stronger, seemingly more dangerous version of me."

It hit me like lightning. "I know I wanted to be strong, but… I'm not sure if I wanted to be like that. I don't know if I want to be this killing machine. Who knows if I won't put a 180 and come after you guys…"

Kagome clapped her hands together and braced my shoulder. "Don't let it worry you. Besides, with Inuyasha and the rest of us looking after you, you'll be fine." I looked at Inuyasha, who was looking back at me with a face that was hard to read. "I think that in a situation where I would attack you guys, Inuyasha would sooner kill me than try to protect me from myself."

"Humph, you don't know that, but I'm just hoping that that day never comes where I'd have to make a choice like that!"

"Sure Inuyasha, keep going on with your life acting like you don't care about anyone but yourself." I narrowed my eyes.

"Hey, I do so care!" He defended himself. His face then turned red and he turned away. I had a sneaky feeling that he said something he didn't mean for anyone to hear last night. "Forget I said anything…"

Miroku came charging in, "You guys, we need to move. A pack of demons are coming this way."

"Nah, I'll take care of them. You guys find a hiding place." Inuyasha put on the tough act and hopped off. A few seconds later, he started going off on someone. "What the hell are you doing here, you wimpy wolf!"

"Koga?" Kagome asked. She rushed off and I just limped behind her. Inuyasha was in a staring contest with a wolf demon. I thought back, "that wimpy wolf, Koga, who's always flirting with Kagome. He totally gets on my nerves so much that I want to kill him."

I blinked, "Okay… so that's Koga?"

"Who wants to know?" He turned around. Actually, he wasn't half bad looking; he looked handsome and smart at the same time. I smiled, "Oh hi, I've heard so much about you…" I laughed nervously.

"Yeah, not from this dog-faced mutt, I hope."

"Yeah, what of it?" I defended myself. He jumped over and looked at me. "You're a very peculiar looking demon… just what kind are you?" I flexed my claws, "your point is… Why should I tell you anything?"

Kagome laughed, "Now princess, don't be so impolite."

"Well Kagome," Koga rushed over to grab her hands, "It's been quite a while since we last saw eye to eye."

"Hey wolf, hands off!" Inuyasha rushed over. Koga brushed it off, "I thought you found someone to suit your… tastes." He eyed me. I scoffed, "Yeah right, me and him, not in a million years."

"Oh, but why not?" He paused, "you said princess?"

"Of the tiger demon tribe of the north if you _must_ know." I folded my arms. I held out one of my clawed hands and cracked it. "So you know, I don't take kindly to anyone who mocks Inuyasha for being what he is. As far as I'm concerned, he's as full demon as they come."

He laughed, "How very interesting." He gave me a sniff, "you're not quite all demon yourself, but you're more so than Inuyasha. You're more worthy…" I grabbed him by the throat. I narrowed my eyes, "Don't make me hurt you… Tell me why you're here."

He gasped for air after I set him down. "A bunch of lightning demons were attacking my tribe and I need to deal the finishing blow. I've been chasing them for three days now."

"Strange… they attacked my tribe as well just three days ago. They're the reason I came upon everyone here and got this leg injury." I looked down, "I almost forgot I had this."

"Anyway, I need to keep moving. Kagome, let me know if you hear anything else." He ran off in a tornado and disappeared within seconds. I shrugged, "Actually, he didn't seem that bad."

"Not that bad!" Inuyasha spat out, his right eye twitching.

"If he's friends with Kagome, then he's cool by me. Just so long as he doesn't tries to kill you…"

"He has tried, but I've tried too. That was such a waste of my time…"

"Yeah Miroku, I thought you said a whole bunch of demons were heading this way." I eyed him behind me.

"I did… they're arriving just now."


	12. Fury Turns into Tears

Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga. "Let's go, Kagome! Sango, you stay here with the princess and keep an eye on Miroku. Miroku, you're on guard duty!"

"Hey, what about me?"

"Hello, you can't fight with that leg injury. What's to say this fight won't open up that wound again? C'mon Kagome, let's go!"

"Keilala, go with them!" Sango called out to her cat demon friend, who transformed and let Kagome on her back.

I sighed, sitting back down. I rubbed my leg, "Are you sure he made me stay behind because of my leg?"

"Don't know. Share your theory with us." Miroku said.

"Well, you saw what happened when Koga was here. I had my hand around his throat… Inuyasha knows that my temper runs high when it comes to his opposition."

He nodded, "I do admit you have been a little high-strung…"

"I haven't gotten that bad, have I?" I wondered out loud.

"Well, you have been taking on some of Inuyasha's attributes, the big one being not backing down from a fight, even starting fights with accusations. In fact, you've been getting into fights that are much bigger than you." I shrugged, "So…"

"You don't care that you could get yourself killed?" Sango asked, sitting down next to me. I thought on, "I never thought about that… Ultimately, I do want to be strong enough to defend my tribe against outsiders. I never thought I'd find myself defending Inuyasha with every inch of my being, considering the kind of jerk he is at times. Somehow, I think I've been getting more into his inner core lately…" I sighed, "When I was growing up, I visited Inuyasha at the Sacred Tree. I'd wish on throughout every night that he'd come alive once more. Now that my wish came true, I want it to stay that way."

"At one point, Inuyasha considering dying with Kikyo. He wants to avenge her death by killing Naraku… even though Kikyo is gone, he still fights Naraku to make sure he doesn't possess all of the jewels." Miroku told me.

"When I think about the thought of losing him, like him dying, my heart burns with desire. A desire to keep that from happening no matter what. I'd do anything to protect him just like he helped shield me from my fears during my younger days. My tribe still needs me to carry them into the future… but I'm used to putting everyone else's safety before my own. Whatever way I am to die, I want it to be defending someone else that I really care about."

"So, you've grown to feel that way about Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. I folded my arms, "Yeah, but I forbid myself to show him that I do. He's already got enough to deal with." I looked up at the sky, "I'd just slow him down and there's that complicated relationship between him, Kikyo and Kagome. Adding me into the mix would just be asking too much of him. The only way I can possibly show him how I feel is just by protecting him and prolonging his life—even if it means cutting mine short."

I stretched my arms, "Maybe I'll take a little nap before Inuyasha and Kagome get back. Feel free to tell Kagome what I just revealed, but not to Inuyasha. That's the last thing he needs." I curled into a ball, holding my bandaged leg close to me and slowly drifted off to sleep. Inuyasha's face littered my dreams and I kept shaking my head, trying to erase it. "No, I can't feel this way about him. It just isn't right…"

As I slowly came to, my nose caught the scent of… blood. My eyes shot open. "Humph, it's nothing. I'm half-demon, remember? It's just a little scratch, nothing that can't heal." He groaned. Kagome said, "Don't move Inuyasha, those spider heads were nasty."

"Yeah, but nothing could compare to facing them when I became mortal. The poison nearly did me in; if Myoga hadn't sucked some of the poison out of me, I would have been a goner. But this time around, I'm half-demon, so I should come through all right."

"Still, you shouldn't move around and have your poisoned blood circulate throughout your veins," Kagome said. He brushed it off, barking, "Will you quit it! I'm going to be fine! The last thing I need is princess getting her soul in knots over an injury that I'll recover from in no time at all."

I sighed, "Too late, I already heard you, but I won't get on your case, Inuyasha."

"Oh, so are you going to give me the silent treatment for not letting you come along?"

"No. Inuyasha, did you know that they were going to be spider heads?"

"Well," he paused, "there was a considerable amount of silk in the forest and I did catch a familiar whiff of them. Still, I told you to stay behind for your own good… and your own protection."

I turned over on my other side to look at him, "Thanks…" I smiled as I shut my eyes again. "Inuyasha… if you don't mind me asking, are you going to lose your powers pretty soon?"

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"You know… the night when you temporarily lose your powers, is it close?"

"Huh?" He looked up as night had fallen. "It's not for a while yet. Why?"

"Just curious… I'd feel better to know that my leg will be back to normal by then. That way, if you run into any trouble, I can do the protecting."

"Humph… never stopped me before." He turned his head away. Kagome groaned, "Inuyasha, you still run into plenty of trouble even when you're mortal, so much that my head still spins. Even when he does lose his powers, Inuyasha is still the same, hard-headed and acting before he thinks things through."

"Well, I kinda have to! All of my enemies keep finding me when I'm most vulnerable, so of course I have to be strong and fight back. Besides, I gotta make the best of what I've got. When I'm human, I lose the ability to use Tetsusaiga as well as my fangs and claws. I also get distracted by… humph, human emotions."

"One night of human emotions isn't all that bad, Inuyasha… still, if you wanna live your life to its fullest, you need to watch yourself a lot more when that time comes." I thought for a moment and opened my eyes again. "If trouble is to find us on that particular night, that can be my final test. Then I'll be able to return back home, or I'll just die trying."

"Oh, and what happens if for some unusual reason, I'm the one who ends up getting slaughtered, then what!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome and I whined at once.

"You're not seriously asking me that, are you?" I asked. "I mean, why would you even consider a situation like that? You always go into a fight thinking you'll come out alive…"

His yellow eyes glowed with anger. "I'm just saying… what would you do!" I groaned and turned my back on him. "Humph… if I failed you, I'd never forgive myself! I'd be too ashamed to go back home knowing that I failed you."

"So, you'd just abandon your whole tribe just because of one death!"

"I always put myself before others."

"If that's the way you see it, then it's better to go back and take charge! You can't save them all, so it's better not to dwell on the past!"

My heart was burning in rage. I took the jewel shard out of my heart. "Kagome, hold this shard for me." She came over to take it from me. I sat up and limped over to where Inuyasha was sitting. I stared into his yellow eyes. "What?"

I stared at him angrily, "I doubt you'd see devotion if it stared you in the face! That's the path I choose because it was my wish for you to live. That's my first priority and I'm sticking to it whether you care or not." Keeping my claws out of the way, I brought a hand across and slapped him across the face, furiously.

"Sometimes I think Kagome deserves better than a selfish punk like you!" I spat on his face in rage, "I hope that poison eats away at you a little more than planned." He grabbed my wrist. "You don't really mean that, do you?" He asked with his hair covering his eyes.

"What do you think!"

"I think you're just mad… so you're not thinking clearly…" He sighed, "Look, I'm sorry… but that's what a good leader would do."

"I'm not your average demon, Inuyasha." I stared him in the eye, "Although I can be tough like you, I think with my heart… and if anything would happen to you, my heart would bleed for you every day. It would hurt so much that I'd want to die to make it stop… When I put others before myself, that includes you! And… my tribe would be in trouble with me distracted anyway." I reached my claws towards his neck, but his grip on my wrist was tight. I cried, "You're such an idiot sometimes…"

I got up. Kagome offered me my jewel shard back and I took it. I groaned, "I'm sleeping up in that tree tonight, alone." I jumped up the tree and made myself comfortable.

Kagome shouted, "Inuyasha, sit!" His head crashed into the dirt. She turned her back, "Humph, you don't _have_ to, but I suggest that you apologize again. Not everyone is willing to put their lives on the line for yours, you ungrateful pig!"

He crossed his arms, saying in a slightly depressed tone. "Kagome, would you do that?"

"Well, I wouldn't do it on an impulse, but if worse comes to worse, I'd do everything to protect you, just like you would do the same for me… or Kikyo." She sighed, "you were willing to give your life for her. Now that I've thought about it, if the time calls for such a thing, I would do the same for you." He looked up at the newly risen half-moon. "Kagome, want to sleep by me again tonight?"

She turned back and smiled, "Sure Inuyasha…" She sat down, "But what changed your mind?"

"I guess I should really start catering to other people's feelings other than my own… I could get worse than just a slap across the face." He sighed. "I'll apologize to her in the morning. Maybe having you rest by me will help clear my head so I can summon the words I want to say."

"Good for you, Inuyasha." She smiled and leaned on his shoulder, slowly falling asleep. Inuyasha sighed, looking up, "Well, I've still got a couple of weeks left until I become mortal. I think I should be okay then." He shut his eyes and fell fast asleep with his right arm around Kagome. He thought, "Well, if anything, Chihiro has helped me get more in touch with my feelings for Kagome… I feel like having her so close is opening my heart wider than before."


	13. You were Using Me!

As I dreamt alone in that dream, my dreams slowly faded into nightmares; nightmares that felt like they had happened before in the past. It was blurry, but I saw Inuyasha strung up by a spider web. A spider head bit him on the shoulder and he slowly cried out in pain. Shippo said from below, "Kagome, Inuyasha's been poisoned." Later on, Kagome got Inuyasha down from the web and dragged him into the other room. I would only see a close up of his face; his eyes were shut and it looked like he wasn't breathing. I felt my heart race in panic. I saw a flea, I figured was Myoga, jump on his neck and suck his blood; he grew 100x in size. I painfully watched as Inuyasha started sweating and panting. Kagome wiped his forehead as he slowly opened his eyes.

I shot awake as the half-moon started going down. I fell backwards, but my left leg and tail caught onto the tree branch. I sighed in relief, "Phew, that was a close one." I looked at Inuyasha from my upside-down position and for a split second, I thought I saw that look of pain on his face that I did in the dream. I flipped myself over, so I was hanging from the tree by my left leg and tail, but I was able to see Inuyasha right side up. He was groaning, but otherwise looked all right.

A voice echoed in my head, "I thought I was going to lose you; I thought you were going to die." It was Kagome's voice and it sounded like it was from the dream. I looked at him again and he seemed to be getting a little restless. I thought back to what I said, "I hope that poison eats away at you a little more than planned…"

I said to myself, "Good thing I didn't wish for that to happen…" I watched as his panting somewhat increased. I eyed him nervously throughout the next few hours, not knowing what was going on. I saw the wound on his shoulder and how it seemed to be fuming with poison like my leg had. I whispered, "Inuyasha, you're stronger than this. I know you can fight that poison; nothing slows you down."

I sighed, shutting my eyes. The night continued and so did the voices in my head and the flurry visions of Inuyasha dealing with the poison. My heart kept screaming for the nightmare to end, but nothing deterred it.

I then saw a bright light and I felt like I was falling. I screamed, but stopped short though. My heart jolted. I opened my eyes to see that someone had caught me. I shivered, "What a horrible nightmare…"

"That's why I use trees for hanging out, not sleeping." The familiar voice said. I looked at the red sleeves that rested around his arms. I whispered, shutting my eyes. "Inuyasha…" He set me down on the ground, feeling my forehead. "Looks like you've recovered from that touch of Sesshomaru's poison. What's got you so… whatever…" I looked up at him as he looked at me, confused. I shrugged, "Nightmare… it felt so real… like it happened before." I looked down, ashamed, "I didn't mean to say that I wanted the poison to eat at you… my nightmare showed me what could happen if it did. It scared me to death. The visions kept coming back and stronger each time. You screamed in pain and I was paralyzed by my fears."

I shuddered. I sat up, looking at where the bite was in his shoulder. "How's your wound?" He felt it, "nothing I couldn't handle, don't worry about it." I shivered, but I turned around to face him eye to eye. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Look, I told you I'm fine… you worry too much."

"No, I worry just the right amount. It's you who doesn't worry enough!" I felt like my emotions were getting the better of me again. I moaned, "Oh god… I feel so unstable as a half-demon or whatever… my emotions are always getting the best of me." I wiped my eyes, but I couldn't control the tears that started pouring out of them.

His face changed, "What… what are you… you're not crying, are you?" I shook my head, "No… I'm not… I'm just…" Kagome called to us, "Inuyasha! What'd you do to her?"

"What? I didn't do nothin', she did this all on her own."

"No… really, I'm not…" I wiped my eyes, but then my emotions overpowered me. I flung myself at Inuyasha, holding him tightly as I started balling my eyes. "I was so scared…"

"What… I told you I'm fine…"

"I don't care… my nightmare was playing with my mind. I was angry last night, I didn't mean to say I wanted the poison to get to you. I didn't mean that…"

Miroku and Sango approached. Miroku said flat out, "Inuyasha, what did you do?"

"I already told you! I didn't do anything; she just went hysterical in front of my own two eyes!"

I inhaled in between sobs, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said. You've given me so much and did so much for me while I was growing up… I just wanted to repay you, even if I put my own life on the line to do that."

"What exactly do you want me to say?" He asked.

"I don't know… just anything to make me stop… Call me a complete idiot and a lame excuse for a demon… I don't care, just say something."

He sighed, "I'm sorry for getting on your case last night. I'm just not a believer in self-sacrifice, like other people saying they'd give their lives for me. I don't want that kind of pity. I hardly show compassion for others, so I don't think I deserve that in return. Unless the time calls for it, spare me the noble act!" He brushed it off. "If you have anything going for you, it's the way you always put others before yourself, willingly. Me, I do it just because I'm called to do so. I'm not always so happy about it, but I do it anyway. You have no problem with that… The fact you wanted to use that shard for strength instead of power… that just goes over my head. You're unlike anyone else I know."

I let go and wiped my eyes one last time. I laughed lightly, "sorry I got your kimono all wet."

"Nah… it's no big deal." I settled myself back onto his chest. I sighed, "Just once more…" I listened to his heart slowly calm down and my own did the same. I felt the jewel shard glow inside of me and my frown became a smile. The hand came back for that same embrace. He slightly groaned, "Why do I always have to be the nice guy?" Although my eyes were shut, I sensed an overwhelming calmness break over Inuyasha. I looked up and I saw his eyes slowly shut, as if he were hypnotically falling asleep. I lifted my head off, "Inuyasha?"

Then he snapped back to normal. "What?" I put my head back and listened to the comforting beat of his heart. He slowly slumped back into that dreamy state. "I don't know what it is, but when you're this close, I feel this overwhelming sense of calmness. It's like… I can't be angry or feel anything at all… it's almost comforting." I placed my free hand on his chest and suddenly, I felt another hand wrap around my arm. I looked up and Inuyasha had both of his arms around me. It was as if he was seeking some answers and he needed a moment of clarity to find them.

It suddenly came to me. He was trying to figure out what to do regarding his feelings for Kikyo. He was trying to find some comfort to get through losing her all over again. Somehow, having me this close was reminding him of her and he thought on and on about why she betrayed him. It was like he was using me as a shield for something. I took my head off his chest and backed away. I narrowed my eyes.

"What?" He said, disapprovingly.

"I know what's going on. You're _using me!_" He folded his arms, "What do you mean?"

"The calmness that I seem to give you… it reminds you of the way you feel about Kikyo. I am _not Kikyo and I won't want to be used a way to keep her spirit alive_!"

"Inuyasha, is that true?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome's a great girl, Inuyasha. Even though you and Kikyo have history, what you have with Kagome makes a lot more sense. Her loyalty to you hasn't wavered. She challenges you with every ounce of her being while letting you be yourself, your rough and tough self. Kikyo just mystifies you in a way that's almost blinding. Although I like the way I make you feel, that calmness, it's not right to think that could replace Kikyo. The calmness you feel after you see her." His jaw was moving, but I couldn't hear anything. It was almost like he was speechless or he was dumbfounded that I figured out his plan.

I crossed my arms and stood up. "Inuyasha… I'd considering staying with you so I could learn more about being strong in the body as well as the heart. However, if I'm nothing more than a replacement for Kikyo, I'm afraid I can't complete my training with you." I turned my back, "Here's your last chance, Inuyasha."

"Hold on, that's not it at all! It's got nothing to do with Kikyo!" He tried defending himself. I bowed my head, "Don't lie. Our souls connect whenever you hold me like that; I know what you're thinking. I refuse to be used that way."

I stopped, "Oh, by the way… whenever that night comes where you become mortal and fall into trouble with whomever, I won't be around to save your ass… again."

"What'd you mean again! Wait, come back!" He jumped in front of me. I crossed my arms, "I doubt anything you say is going to change my mind."

"Don't go spreading this around or nothing… but I lose my powers on the start of the lunar cycle. You know, just in case you want to look me up and "prove me wrong" or "save my life" or whatever you wanna do." He smiled, "Just saying… you know, it was good getting to know you…"

I sighed, "And I thought you could convince me to stay… I overestimate you sometimes. First I think you're this perfectly nice guy, and then I thought you actually cared about me."

I spat in his face. "Mark my words Inuyasha, this will be the last time you take your friends for granted. I considered you my friend, knowing that's all you can ever be to me, a friend and a mentor." I turned my back and headed off.

Kagome walked up to him, "Inuyasha, is that true? You liked to hold her like that because it reminds you of Kikyo? What about me? What about the nights I slept by you? Was that an act too?"

He shook his head, "No Kagome. I just thought you'd get jealous of her like you did of Kikyo, so I didn't want to leave you out this time."

"Are you okay?" She asked as he seemed a little down. He pointed, "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret that?"

"Because… you know that she just might come back after you? You revealed your secret to her; she could just be mad enough to come find you to kill you."

"Nah, I seriously doubt that… she's all about 'protecting me' or whatever."

"She's right, you are a user…" She looked crossly at him, "Inuyasha!"

He cringed, "No… don't say it…" He was preparing to run away when she said, "Sit boy!" He fell over and she kept yelling "sit" at him for the next few minutes.

Miroku and Sango stood by and watched. "So, that's what she was doing to Inuyasha. She was looking into his soul and slowly healing it from the ordeal with Kikyo. He came to depend on her to help him keep the memory going, but there's really no point. Kikyo's gone and she's not coming back."

"Yeah, I feel a little sorry for her. I mean with the way she feels about Inuyasha and everything." Inuyasha's ears twitched, "What was that?"

"Oh nothing you need to be concerned with." Miroku shook his head, "you're such a two-timer. She couldn't have been more right about you and Kagome…"

"Yeah that's strange… I hardly told her anything at all." Inuyasha mentioned. He looked up at Kagome. She shrugged, "We've had our talks; I think she's just really good at knowing this stuff. I'm gonna miss her."

"Yeah, whatever…" He turned his head.

"Inuyasha, you're acting like you don't even care." Shippo observed.

"It's not that I don't care; I just don't think…" He struggled with his next thought, "Humph, I just don't think… I mean, how do you apologize for something like that?"

"Well, for starters," Miroku came forward, "you gotta give her space to cool off. Then, if you want to help her complete her training, you gotta show her that you care enough as a friend. Make her feel like you care about her as a person, not as a way to remind you of Kikyo." He looked at the rising noon sun and sighed. "I guess… I could always come by when I'm mortal… make it seem like I went through a lot of trouble to see her. That kind of thing…"

"Wow, that's such a big step for you, Inuyasha." Kagome complimented him. "It was amazing enough you actually told her when you lose your powers, but you're willing to expose yourself to her. You never did that willingly for anyone before."

He shrugged, "Yeah, well… yeah… we'll just leave it at that. I'll be back." He hopped away into the woods. Kagome wondered, "Sango, what did you mean when you said 'the way she feels about Inuyasha'?"

"Well, she said it was okay to tell you. She likes Inuyasha quite a bit, but she forbade herself from showing that she does. She doesn't want to interfere with you and Inuyasha's relationship."

"Wow… talk about self-sacrifice. She does so much for Inuyasha and he doesn't even know it. I wish there was something we could do." Kagome said.

"There's nothing we can do… it's all up to Inuyasha now." Miroku shrugged.

Inuyasha sprinted through the woods, trying to find some kind of clarity. He climbed to the top of the tallest tree and looked out. He thought, "Was I really thinking about Kikyo when I held the princess? It's only been a couple of weeks, but it feels like it's been forever. But I can't just leave Kagome hanging like that, it's not fair to her." He pulled out the Tetsusaiga and looked at it, "she's strong enough so that she can hold it… meaning she can only get more powerful. If she finds me when I'm mortal, I gotta make sure I'm on her good side. The look in her eyes is enough to convince me she's capable of anything." He sat on that tree branch until the moon rose to the sky.

He stood up, preparing to head back. "All right, princess, I'll see you in a few weeks."


	14. A Brushin With Koga & Naraku

Three weeks later…

When I got home later that day, everyone greeted me, seeming worried about me. I was grateful to everyone, but I really wanted to be by myself. I sat in our tallest tree to look out over the mountains. I thought on and on about Inuyasha and the way he used me. The fact that he was, was what was hurting me the most. I thought I meant more to him than a reminder. I held the jewel shard in my heart and I cried. "Inuyasha… Inuyasha, how could you do that to me! Don't I mean anything to you?"

For those next three weeks, I held the jewel shard and cried over Inuyasha. I needed the shard to give me strength to get over what he did to me and the way he scarred my heart. "I'm never giving you this jewel shard, Inuyasha! You're going to regret what you did to me, you hear me!" I finally shouted to the sky. After eating lunch each day, I'd go down to our small forest and sharpen my claws. This time, however, I saw his face as instead of Miroku's for target practice.

Despite everything, despite how much I hated him for what he did to me and put me through, I still felt a lot of love for Inuyasha. I knew I'd never be able to show him what's really in my heart, but I figured that if worst comes to worst, I'd be able to show him my true strength in his time of need. It's the best I can do since I do consider him as a friend.

After training solo for three weeks, I looked up at the slowly disappearing moon. Inuyasha's time of vulnerability was going to be two nights from now. I wondered what it was like for him to lose his powers. Considering how strong he is now, I'm sure that he hates being human because human bodies are so much weaker than demon bodies. I looked at myself; I'm more than half-demon, I know that now, but in so many ways, I'm weaker than Inuyasha. Even though my mother was powerful, something about being all, but not quite all demon made me unusual. It's like there's an chemical imbalance going on inside of me; I felt like that was always holding me back.

I liked being alone to train, but my best friend, Raye was always there to talk to me. I felt better having someone to confess everything to. I told her all about my confusing feelings for Inuyasha and the fact that I really couldn't show him my true feelings. My leg was now completely healed, so I felt like I'd be strong enough to handle anything. Best of all, I felt so strong that I felt like I didn't need my jewel shard anymore. I decided that it was best to keep until I next saw Inuyasha. Then again, if I find more jewel shards, I might be able to use them to become either all demon or half-demon. I thought about being full demon, but I didn't like what I saw. I saw myself going into a very dark place that not even Inuyasha could fish me out of. I felt like I was going to kill everything in my path. Despite what I felt about him, my demon nature wasn't going to discriminate the good from the bad. Not that Inuyasha is totally and purely good, but he's better than any other demons I knew.

I decided to head out, maybe let myself drift closer to where Inuyasha and the others were camping out. I doubt they were still at the same camping site, but I knew I could always follow his scent. A few moments after I left, the hair on my neck stood up. I looked behind me and saw Raye running towards me. She seemed to be injured because she was stumbling and looked really off.

I rushed back over to her. "Raye, what happened?" She tried to get off the ground, "a wolf demon. A wolf demon came after me…"

My ears perked up, "There's no way in hell…"

"What?" There was a brown blur and it was Koga. He laughed, "Ah, the half-breed following Inuyasha around… It's nice to see you again."

"Cut the pleasantries, Koga! Why were you attacking my friend?" He laughed, "All right, you can drop the disguise! I know you're not who you appear to be!"

"Princess, he tried to kill me!"

"You! You tried to kill me! You were going after my jewel shards!" I looked at Raye and she didn't look like she'd be the type to do that. "Raye, is that true?" In the midst of tears, she nodded, "Yes. I wanted to become stronger like you, so I thought I could use some shards to do that."

"I don't buy that one bit! Reveal yourself, Naraku!"

"Naraku?" I shook my head, "Naraku did this before with Inuyasha and Kikyo." I looked back at Raye and she had transformed. I shrieked when I saw Naraku rise off the ground. He looked really powerful, so much that I figured I had to pull all the stops out on this one.

I pulled the jewel shard from my heart and held it in my hand. I shot a look at Koga, "Hey, take this and hold on to it for me. Let's see if we can take this guy down."

"Are you serious?" He said jokingly with a smile. He walked over to me and took the shard. He put it in his right arm and cracked his knuckles. "After you, princess…"

"Gladly." I smiled at him and when I faced Naraku, I let everything out. I glared at him and charged at him with a shriek. I jumped onto him, scratching his face. I placed my hand around his throat. "You caused Inuyasha so much grief, you don't deserve to live!" I grabbed his throat, made my way off of him, grabbed his collar and lifted him up. "Aren't you going to fight back!"

"Oh, you don't want to see him fight back! Naraku's as nasty as they come." Koga laughed, "May I?"

"Sure." I let go so Koga could get a clear shot. Unfortunately, even with the power of three shards, Koga was reflected by a barrier that Naraku built up around himself. I gulped, "That's right. Naraku has most of the jewel shards!" He held it out as proof; a glowing black, nearly complete jewel.

The evil in his eyes was enough to make me want to strike him. I jumped at him, somehow getting past the barrier and got my hand around his throat again. For some reason, I wanted to kill him, but I had a fear of killing. I felt him working his way into my mind. I got overwhelmed by that feeling that I had to let go. I saw that he had his hand nearly pasted against my stomach. There was a dark energy revealing around it. I couldn't move, paralyzed in fear and everywhere else. I started sweating and shaking all over when suddenly he stopped. He reactivated his barrier and floated off.

Koga marched up next to me, "I guess he's still weakened from that battle at Mount Hakurei, otherwise he would have finished you off." He knelt down next me as I lay on the ground. I looked up at him and he opened his hand, "here's your shard back."

"Wow… I guess you're not quite as bad as Inuyasha thinks you are."

"No… he's just protective of Kagome, but I think he gets her into so much danger. It sickens me; she'd rather be with that mutt than me, a full-fledged wolf demon."

"You know, half-demons aren't less important than full demons. And why does everything have to be about power? Why does everyone need power? What's so great about it?"

He helped me up. "You're weird, you know that."

"Like I don't know," I stood shakily. "I'm convinced that my father could have been half-demon and somehow, I got tangled in all of this messed up stuff. Like, I flipped out on Inuyasha the other day. It's like I'm as strong as a full demon, but emotion-wise, I just flip completely in all kinds of directions. I mean, it was crazy… I got all emotional, I was hysterical… like I flipped out on him the other night, just cuz I said I'd give my life to save his. Then I wanted him to get more hurt by the poison from this spider-head demon and I really didn't mean that and…" I fell to my knees and replaced the jewel shard. I panted, "What the hell did he do to me?"

"Who, Naraku or that mutt?"

"Naraku… I don't know what he did… it's like he infiltrated my soul." I then caught a whiff of something. I rushed on all fours back home


	15. Koga's Proposition

By the tree I spent my time thinking, I saw a couple of jewel shards imbedded in the tree. I took them out of the knot in the tree and held them. "Have these always been there?"

"I don't know… you live here." Koga said. I held them in the palm of my hand. I then took the other jewel shard out and placed it with them. I clapped my hands together and when I opened them, the three shards had fused together. I eyed them with curiosity.

"So, what are you going to do with those?"

"I was thinking about it the other day. If I have a small number of shards, I could either become full demon or half-demon. I considered becoming all demon, but I wouldn't want to become someone who could possibly hurt others. While the life of a half-demon isn't always a pleasurable life, it's better than being as unstable as I am."

"So, what exactly happened between you and Inuyasha?"

I sat down on the rock next under that tree. "Well, it's a long story. He was training me, but I got so strong over one day that there really wasn't a need to go on. We ran into his brother, Sesshomaru, I saved his ass, and he got all… whatever, when I was like 'I'd give my life for you'… Truth was that I visited him when he was sealed to the Sacred Tree. I'd listen to his heart for comfort. So, he made a habit of letting me do that… but he was using me." I spat out, disgusted.

"Using you? For what?"

"The calmness I gave him when he held me, it was reminding him of Kikyo. He needs to really move on from her, especially when Kagome is there in front of his eyes. He's such a jerk sometimes."

"Yeah, he is a jerk, but what makes you think he and Kagome belong together?"

"That's easy." I looked at him, "she knows how to keep him in check and he's always willing to go all the way to protect her. It's like opposites attract for them. No other girl could keep Inuyasha in check like Kagome can…"

"True, but don't you like Inuyasha too?"

"Yeah… I do, but my lips are sealed regarding my feelings about him. There's this love triangle between him, Kagome and Kikyo. Kikyo is gone now… leaving Kagome a clear shot. I'd just complicate things."

"You'd rather Kagome be with that mutt than a stronger, full-demon like me?" I looked at him. For a moment, I thought I saw something in him. I looked at his eyes and started smiling. When our eyes met, I turned away. "What am I thinking?"

"Why were you looking at me like that?" He asked in a curious tone.

"I don't know… my mind wanders sometimes… still, it's very strange. For a moment there, I thought that you weren't half bad looking."

"Not half bad? What do you mean, not half bad!"

"Well, I like you more, is all. I mean, opposed to you being just… ok." I shrugged, "I could just be flip-flopping again; I'm weird that way. I never know half the time what I'm really thinking. This could just be on an impulse…"

"Nah, the look I saw in your eyes couldn't have been an impulse. Still, you feeling that way about Inuyasha and not telling him that… you're just going to keep him and Kagome together… and you still would give your life for him. The guy's an idiot for not taking you seriously."

"Well, it's good to see someone see things my way." I laughed, "Boy, Inuyasha would be furious if he saw me come back with you."

"What, you're going back?"

"Yeah, I gotta complete my training. I've got one final test and once I pass, I can take my place as the leader of my tribe."

"Just wondering, is your race of demons getting less numerous? I don't think I've ever heard of tiger demons before I met you."

"Yeah, well, we're a very isolated race and there are only so many tribes. In the 45 years I spent traveling, I've come across only five others. None of them would take me in because I was half-demon, but I'm more demon than they know. More than I know for that matter." I sighed, "I wonder if my father's still alive. Maybe I can ask him why he didn't tell my mother he was half demon, or why he even left… there's so much I don't know."

"Just wondering because… your tribe can always join up with mine."

"Tigers and wolves? Are you serious?" I said, jokingly. "We're talking dogs and cats living together in peace… isn't that a little weird?"

"No. Besides, I'm my own tribe's leader, and my pack is pretty small as it is. If we merge together, we'll be that much stronger."

"Still, you wolves get into a whole lot of trouble with humans. We just want to be left alone and not get involved with humans at all. That was the reason that led to our downfall. They thought we were after the Shikon Jewel, but we really had nothing to do with it." I sighed, "Do you really think you could protect us, I mean, if I can't?"

"I don't see why I can't." He said. I don't know what it was, but I suddenly warmed up to Koga after talking to him for only an hour or so. As the sun set, he slid next to me and put an arm around my shoulders, smiling. I locked my left fingers with his hands. "Thanks Koga."

"For what? I didn't do nothin'…" For a split second, I thought he sounded like Inuyasha. I looked at him and it was just Koga. "Just for… hearing me out, I guess… Despite what Inuyasha has against you, you're not really that bad. In fact, I'm getting to like you quite a bit."

"Well, I kinda like you too. You can't follow everything Inuyasha tells you."

"I know… but as far as I'm concerned, his enemies are the same as mine. You, you're just a rival; you can't be all bad if you protect Kagome like you say you do."

"I'd be a lot better job than him… but in your case, I think I could you help all out. Since you tigers are so good at keeping yourselves hidden, you can hide while my wolves do the protecting. Unless you'd like to fight by my side…"

"Sure, after I finish up with Inuyasha, I'll come back here and I'll explain things to them." I smiled, "Thanks Koga, you're awesome." I hugged him and he said, "Hey, calm down. It wasn't no big deal."

I heard a strong heart beating inside Koga's chest. I tried to listen for something reassuring, but I just couldn't find it. I felt tears pouring from my eyes again. I tightened my grip on Koga's pelt and my heart felt heavy. I put the jewel shards into my heart and it continued to hurt. I sniffed. He looked down, "Hey, what's got you so worked up?"

I laughed in between sobs, "There I go again. I told I'm an unstable half-demon, or… whatever I am." I sighed, but starting sobbing. Koga held me, but it didn't make me feel any better. It just wasn't the same as being that close with Inuyasha. "Look, just tell me what's wrong and I'll see what I can do."

I sobbed, "I miss Inuyasha… I need Inuyasha…" He got behind me and started to massage me. He then placed a wolf pelt around my shoulders. "That came from one of my comrades who died in a battle against a bunch of humans. Maybe it'll keep you warm. It's the best I can do. I found it in a cabin a few villages away." I sniffed it.

"A few villages away…" I sniffed it again. "During my first night with Inuyasha, Kagome put this around us as we slept. It smells like Inuyasha…"

"Yeah, whatever makes you happy… I can't say I'm pleased that it smells like dog-face, but as long as you're happy."

"I gotta see Inuyasha the day after tomorrow…" I stopped crying and I slowly fell asleep in Koga's arms.

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he sat resting by a tree. He slowly opened his eyes as his ears kept twitching. "That voice sounds… so familiar." He whispered.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome woke up, moving a little out of her sleeping bag.

"Hey Kagome, I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No… I don't think so." She yawned. "What are you still doing up?"

"I thought I heard something." He tried to listen, but the voice was gone. "Someone calling my name."

"You don't think it was the princess, do you?"

"Yeah, I think it was her." He stood up, looking out past the trees. "It's been so long since I've seen her…"

"What'd you think you heard?" She asked, getting out of her sleeping bag carefully, as to not wake up Shippo.

"It might have been my imagination, but she was… crying. Crying for me. I mean, just a few days ago, I heard her shouting that 'I'd be sorry' and 'I'd regret using her', and I'd never get the jewel shard. I don't even care anymore… she can keep it." He brushed it off, heading back to the tree to sit back down.

"Well," Kagome sat down next to Inuyasha, "what'd you hear her say this time?"

"Despite all this time we've spent apart, she misses me and… needs me… Forget what she said about Kikyo. The truth is that… the way she affected me, I miss that. That sense of calmness has given me a clearer mind, so I don't have to think quite as hard anymore. Plus, I've been able to sort out my feelings for you, Kagome."

"She did that?" She wondered, leaning against his shoulder.

"Yeah, I think so. She was right; nothing I do is going to bring Kikyo back. As much as it kills me to know that Naraku killed her, and that I can't forget about her, I should really stop thinking that we still have a chance. Things between us have gotten so complicated that I don't even know if we have a chance in hell." He straightened himself out. "If anything, she was right about the fact that you're right for me because you don't cast a spell over me the way Kikyo does. I can be myself around you…"

He paused when he realized that Kagome had fallen asleep, leaning her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her in support. He then made a vow to himself, "Kagome, I promise that I won't ever leave you alone again."


	16. Betrayal & Corruption: Thanks to Naraku

When I woke up the next morning, I thought on about what happened the past night. Was I really warming up to Koga or was I just imagining it? Did I really care about Inuyasha as much as I thought I did? Did I really miss him so much that I'd cry for him? My mind still had so many questions. I jumped into the tallest tree to think as the sun rose. I looked down as I saw Koga stretch out. I still felt that connection with him, but I don't think I could ever feel the way about him that I do Inuyasha.

I jumped down and thought aloud, "Have I really sold my heart to Inuyasha? Could I never really love anyone else the way I do him? I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do."

"I don't know, you tell me." Koga shrugged. I sighed, sitting down. "It's just that… last night, I lost it because I tried listening to your heart. Every time Inuyasha held me to his, I always felt safe; his heart comforted me during those months where I was all alone." I looked into Koga's eyes, "I tried to find that in you and I just can't."

I backed off. "I don't think I'll ever find that in anyone else; I feel like I need that connection in order to love someone else. I just don't want to have to rely on Inuyasha forever because… because… I just can't. It'd be inconvenient for him. Still, I think that he'd need someone like me looking out for him. His brother could have killed him the other day if I hadn't stepped in."

"Man! That mutt's an idiot! He has no idea whatsoever about you… he doesn't even deserve to know you."

"Yes he is! I've gotten to really know him over those days we spent together, and I liked the way I felt around him. So much about it felt so right. Truth is that I don't think I could ever forget him if I tried." I started walking away. "Koga, you head back home; I need some time to myself to think."

"All right. Just holler if that mutt gives you any lip."

"I seriously doubt it; I can handle him myself." I laughed, "thanks for everything."

"Anytime princess…" He smiled before disappearing into his tornado. I started my journey to find Inuyasha once again. I followed my nose and headed through the woods. I knew that the best way to handle this was to finish my business with him and move on with my life. While I wasn't totally convinced that Koga will ever give me that same feeling of reassurance, his plan kept sounding better all the time.

I had only been on the go for ten minutes when I heard someone following me. My ears kept twitching with the sound of 'sneaking around'. I finally turned around and demanded, "All right! Who's following me?" I then saw Raye come out of hiding. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to come with you." I shrugged, "you coulda said something. I'd have let you come if I asked."

She then laughed in an oddly evil way. "You're such a fool," her voice changed, "you're way too trusting, dear princess. You fell for the same trick twice." Her form disappeared and Naraku came out of it. "There never was a tiger demon named Raye here. I was merely using that as a disguise to get close to you. you're quite a powerful, though not quite full demon."

"What's it to you?" The hair on my neck stood up in both anger and fear. He laughed, "Then I think you'd like to know how the humans found about your tribe wanting the Shikon Jewel. I took the form of Kikyo's sister, Kaede, telling them that they were conspiring to come after the village. After what happened with Inuyasha, I figured that it'd be enough for them to go along with it."

"So, you were responsible for my mom and everyone else getting killed! Why would you do that? What would you possess you to do that!"

"Easy… your mother was one of the strongest demons left in this world. I had to get her out of the way so nobody would be able to stop me. I had pretty much dealt with all of the demons that could overthrow me except for four. That includes you, Koga, Sesshomaru and… Inuyasha. I thought I had gotten rid of him, but you kept him alive."

"But… Kagome was the one who broke the spell. I just made a little wish, no big deal."

He softly laughed. "Your presence was what kept him alive while he was pinned to that tree. All you had to do was touch him, feel his heart and it started beating again. Since you visited him so often, it kept his heart going. It's almost as if, when Kikyo shot him with that arrow, he lost the will to live. You reawakened that…"

I gasped, taking a few steps back. "There's no way… I couldn't have had that much of an effect on him. It's crazy. It's ludicrous! How do I know you're not making this up?"

"Why? Don't you want to believe you have that kind of link with Inuyasha?"

"No… because I can't love him! I don't want to love him like I do! It's not fair to Kagome, who's known him much longer than I have."

"I'd think you were more furious at Kikyo for nearly breaking his heart. Plus, you want Inuyasha for yourself."

"No, I don't! I can't always depend on him to protect me or to be there for me! I don't want to depend on him any more than I have to!" He laughed again. "You know; I haven't seen a demon as strong as you in quite a while. I think you could even be a match for Inuyasha and he wouldn't expect it."

I felt everything in me wanting to strike him down; I wanted to kill like there was nothing else. I finally put the jewel shards in my forehead so I could think more clearly. I faced him and let my demonic nature completely take over. My anger and rage all combined together as I charged for him with a shriek. I reached at him with my claws and fangs past his barrier, but somehow I was unable to touch him. He just stared at me menacingly and laughed. "You can't touch me."

"I sure as hell will! I will kill you and anyone that stands in my way! You've wronged so many people and I'm not going to take it anymore; I'm strong enough to take you on!" I got my claws at him, but he pasted his hand to my head. I screamed in pain as I felt him corrupt the shards in my forehead. All of this power came out of nowhere and I was clawing him like there was nothing else. I saw him bleed so I kept going until he used his barrier to deflect me away."

"Inuyasha shouldn't have taken you for granted… he should suffer for this…" He vanished and disappeared. I looked at my transformed claws with the scent of his blood on them. I saw that night was falling… I don't know what he did, but suddenly everything changed. I breathed heavy with this overwhelming desire to kill anything in my way. That was the only thing I knew or wanted to do.


	17. Inuyasha's Human Heart Saves the Day

The only scent I could pick up was Kagome's, so I followed it. I ran really fast while I had the scent. I wondered why I couldn't catch Inuyasha's scent… it was probably subtle that it couldn't be traced. I followed the scent until I smelled the scent of a fire going. I smelled nothing but humans and a couple of small demons. I couldn't think of anything else, but killing and smelling more blood on my hands. I saw them through the bushes. Kagome was handing a can to a guy with black hair. Suddenly, Keilala caught a whiff of something and Shippo followed suit. Miroku spoke next, "I sense a very powerful demonic energy here."

I heard them coming my way. The anger and rage was burning within me so much that I didn't think twice about running away. I pounced out of the bushes and landed on Miroku. I growled, staring at him. "Princess, what…" He saw my eyes, "your eyes are glowing… what's…"

"I need to… kill… humans killed my friends and family. They are to blame." I was ready to cut his throat when I sensed Sango's weapon coming my way. I jumped up, doing a back flip to avoid it. Of course, it was like a boomerang so I hit me from behind.

"Princess, what's going on? Why are you doing this?" Kagome approached me. I growled and hissed, "Stay back… I don't…" For some reason, I didn't want to hurt Kagome. Something about her just threw me off. I rubbed my head as it started to hurt. She pointed, "The jewel shards are in her forehead and they look like they've been contaminated." Miroku stroked his chin, "That would explain things…"

"I need to kill someone and I don't care who it is! This rage is burning within me and I need to do what needs to be done." I eyed Miroku, "And you'll be my first, you lecherous monk!"

"Humph, she even sounds like me." A voice called from behind a tree. My ears twitched. Kagome looked over, "Don't draw attention to yourself, get out of here! She'll come after you!"

I breathed heavily. I thought back to the way Inuyasha used me and didn't even try to stop me from leaving before my training. I was hurt inside and the rage wasn't subsiding. I growled when I finally caught his scent. I charged in the direction of it when I saw the unfamiliar boy come from his hiding place. The red kimono didn't lie. I looked into his eyes and saw a reflection of the campfire. I saw all of my tribe dying at the hands of humans. My rage and fear towards humans ignited in his eyes and mine.

I narrowed my eyes, got on all fours, let my rage and anger take over all of my senses and I gave chase. I shrieked when he held out the sheath of his sword. It reflected my blow. I heard the bend of a bow. "No Kagome, don't shoot! I need to settle this with her, one on one."

"But Inuyasha, you're mortal. She could kill you!"

"Look, just don't. I'll sort this all out! You want me, come and get me!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called. I came after him at full speed, but jumped in the air to knock the sword out of his hands. "No weapons… my strength against your own!"

"Yeah right, you expect me to fight as a human against you, a fully transformed demon! I bet you got those shards to make you all demon!"

"Well, I can see if you're… scared…"

"You really shouldn't have done that!" There was rage in his eyes, but it couldn't compare with the rage I had. I didn't know where it coming from; it's like it was inside just waiting to come out. I shrieked and pounced on him. He got me in locked hand-to-hand combat, trying to fight me off. He walked backwards, taking us away from the campsite and to an open field just behind the tree line. He gritted his teeth. "You've gotten stronger, I see…"

"Oh shut up, tell me something I don't know!" My eyes glowed with rage. I forced him back away from me. "Humans can't be trusted and that includes you!" I aimed to grab his throat, but he fought me off. I shrieked, "I know I have it takes to kill you, Inuyasha! After everything you put me through… you used me! I'm not Kikyo, I'm not meant to replace her, and I want to be taken seriously! I wanted to be your friend!" My eyes seared with my tears. He looked away, "Well, I guess I deserved that."

"Look at me head-on! If I'm going to kill, I want to see…" I shifted my eyebrows, "the lights leave your eyes…" I freed my right hand from his grip and slashed through his coat. He backed up, "Humph, luckily my coat protects me like a weak suit of armor."

"Oh… then consider yourself lucky…" I rushed for him, but then he bent backwards and swept my legs. In turn, I back-flipped to prevent any damage. I landed on all fours and charged in for a pounce. I finally got him on his back. In a last ditch effort to protect himself, he tried to kick me off of him. I just brought my claws out and slashed his legs at the knee. Rendering them useless, I made my way for his throat. He tried to hold me off with his hands.

"You fight hard… for a mortal."

"That does it…." He reached to his right and used the sheath of the Tetsusaiga to hold me off. The truth was at this point, I was getting tired, so I took the blow it dealt me. I was forced backwards and landed on my back. My rage was the only thing keeping me alive; I could feel it. Despite Inuyasha being mortal, he's done a considerable amount of damage.

He came walking, somewhat limping over to me. "You're such a fool…" I said while getting myself off the ground. I felt sick inside, but that wasn't going to stop me. When he got close enough, I scratched him across the face and a deep scratch at that. I sniffed the blood on my hand and cracked my knuckles.

I softly laughed, "Blood… just the way it smells, the way it feels between my fingers… it's perfect." I grabbed a hold of the collar of his kimono and threw him over my shoulder. He landed hard. I turned around and saw him struggling to get off the ground. It looks like he was hurt by the fall.

He reached for my head. I grabbed that hand, snapping it at the wrist. He cringed in pain, but kept a brave face throughout his heavy panting. "These jewel shards are mine, Inuyasha. You can't have them… I won't let you… you'll only abuse them."

"Abuse?…" his eyes flickered, "Kikyo said that."

"Forget Kikyo!" He tried to stop my hand with his broken wrist, but he only cringed in pain. "Well, look who's talking! You're using those… when you'd get more shards?"

"Found them… by a tree near my cave…"

"Those shards have been contaminated! You're being stupid, get rid of them, you don't need them! I'm trying to snap you back to normal!"

"Shut up!" I shouted so loud that everything went silent. "You didn't bother convincing me to stay, so I'm not gonna bother giving you a chance to apology if you won't use it!" My rage reached its climax as I grabbed a hold of his throat. I dug my claws in around the sides while focusing my grip to completely cut him off. He gasped, but kept a strong face. He grinned, "you don't have the guts."

"Don't test me!" He tried fighting me off with his free hand, but the fall had weakened him so much that he could barely move. I felt the pulse under my claws slowly diminishing. I looked at his face as I saw the expression start changing for the worst. I also looked at him all over, "Look at how much you're bleeding… aren't you the least bit dizzy or anything at all?" I let him go slightly to hear his answer, "Yeah… now that you mention it…"

Then I tightened my grip again. He gritted his teeth, but seemed to know he was losing the fight. He gasped, "Please… don't… I care… more about you… than I let on…" He coughed and gagged. I stared into his dark, human eyes as they started struggling with all kinds of things. I saw a spark in them and they all spoke at once. "I don't want to lose you to the dark place I barely escaped…" Inuyasha's voice echoed in my head. It came directly from his heart, but it could only have come from the human part of his heart that intensified during the new moon. The voice in my head went to directly to my heart. The pain in it was enough to make me let go.

I held my heart and started growing weak at the knees. I starting sweating. I looked at my heart and I felt a glowing presence. "The jewel shard in your heart." Inuyasha gasped as he slowly got off the ground and crawled towards me. I felt the rage going into all into the shard in my heart, slowly disappearing out of me. I slapped my forehead, drew out those two tainted jewel shards and threw them into the ground. I whispered, "Naraku can have those back… I should have killed him, but I could barely reach him. I wanted so bad to kill him for how he's wronged all of us…" My eyes broke into tears, "He lied to the humans who killed my family and friends, telling them that we're bent on destroying the village."

"So… you're back to normal…" He asked, crawling closer to me, holding his broken wrist.

All at once, there was a pain ripping at my stomach. I hissed, holding it as I fell over on my back. I struggled to get myself off the ground, but it felt like it was burning like acid. There was a dark glow. "That's what he did when he pasted his hand to my stomach. More tainted jewel shards!" I had to reach my own claws into my stomach just to get them out because they were deep in there.

I coughed, screaming in pain. I almost felt like I was going to vomit with the pain, but I stopped myself. I looked to the side and I thought I saw someone coming towards us. I narrowed my eyes, "Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha gasped and looked over, "I don't see nothin'."

"He's… coming to finish me off…" I struggled to get up, but slowly my hallucination disappeared and I lay down. I felt a hand on my shoulder and cried out in surprise. "Hey, it's okay, it's just me…" I lay on my side, almost waiting for my guts to come pouring out. I coughed and started crying. I was shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm. The hand stayed on my shoulder and I cried, "Just go away, leave me!"

"I… I can't… not if I tried…"

"Must be your human heart talking… your more… forgiving side…" I coughed as my stomach started paining me. "It's almost like his touch was poison, but 10x worse than Sesshomaru." I gasped and groaned in pain.

"Let me see…" He rolled me over on my back. It looked like a knife cut through it and the poison was oozing. "It's almost like when I was cut by the blade of a moth demon… I'm sure we'll be able to treat it and you'll be just fine."

I started sweating all over and getting chills. A soft human hand was feeling the side of my face. "You're dripping in sweat…" I opened my eyes and saw a blur that was Kagome.

"Kagome…" I whispered before cringing with more pain. "The bleeding won't stop… like my guts are…" I felt some blood leak out of my mouth. Kagome wiped it away from a tissue.

"Stop hovering over me… I tried to… I wanted… I don't deserve this…" I wanted to cry more, but the poison was paralyzing me.

"You had the same demonic aura as Naraku, so you were really under his control the whole time. He must have provoked you and caused you to turn into a killing machine," Sango said. "It wasn't your fault…"

I looked up at Inuyasha and for a split second, I saw worry in his eyes. I moved my lips, "Inuyasha…" By this time, the sun was slowly rising and I saw him transform back into a half-demon.

He got up, slowly picking me up, preparing to carry me off on his back. "Inuyasha… just leave me…"

"Not a chance… I'm getting you medical help right away! You don't want to die, are you!" He shouted, like he was challenging me.

"I tried to kill you… I don't deserve to live…"

"Don't say that! I won't hear of it!" Kagome handed him back his sword. He tied the sheath around his waist and got me off the ground. He held onto both of my wrists with his left arm, whose wrist I didn't break. "Hang on tight!" He sprinted really fast and took off, hopping through all the trees at a fast speed. I felt myself fading fast, both from the poison and the dizzying height.

"Why bother?" I whined.

"I won't accept that tone! You're not going to die this, Chihiro! You're stronger than that!" I cried, cringing in pain. "Hang on, we're almost there!"

"I couldn't if I tried… your grip is slipping." He quickly grabbed my hands with both of his, ignoring the pain in his broken wrist. "No, I'm not letting you go!"

"I don't…" I cringed. I felt my eyes getting heavy and I just let them close.

When Inuyasha landed at Kaede's village, he quickly rushed to her cabin. "Kaede, I need help and fast!"

"Oh my, lay her down in this corner over here." She starting gathering some herbs in her drawers. "This should help stop the bleeding," she took out what looked like a serum. She let it dissolve into some bandages and she put them around the scar on my stomach.

I shrieked in pain. I felt a strong hand grab my own as I squeezed it to relieve the pain. I cringed as I slowly felt the poison evaporating into the bandages. I groaned as the sweat kept dripping from my face. Then a cold, wet rag was placed on it. I looked over and saw Inuyasha applying it.

"Inuyasha…" I looked away, "You don't have to do this because it's the right thing to do."

"I want to, though…" the rag came across my forehead and I felt my anxieties resurfacing. I cried a few tears of bitterness, "Inuyasha… I don't need your sympathy…"

"Would you stop being so damn proud! I mean, just for a moment, could you stop telling me to stop doing what I'm doing! That's what one friend does for another!" I cried a few more tears and starting sobbing, "Oh Inuyasha… why…" I cringed.

"Look, just calm down… you're going to be fine!"

"How can you be so sure?" I sniffed as my nose started running. I felt him stroke my cheek with his newly clawed hands; the way I felt at that moment made me shiver.

"Fighting me on this will only make you worse and you can't really get much worse than this without…"

"I didn't want to… it just happened… I couldn't control myself…" He continued to stroke my cheek, "Just forget what you did and focus on getting back to normal…"

"But that's just it… I'm not normal…"

"So? That never stopped you before…" I saw him smile and I just adjusted myself a little just to get the kinks out of my back. I sighed, "It's good to see you again… too bad things didn't go as well as I'd hoped."

"Yeah, same here…" He nodded, "Just work on getting some rest."

"Inuyasha…"

"Yeah?"

"Promise to… stay with me while I sleep?"

"Of course," he smiled, holding my hand with his broken wrist, while stroking my cheek with the other hand.


	18. Everyone Needs a Good Laugh

"Just calm down…" He continued to wipe the sweat away from my face. I cringed with the dull pain that remained. "What about you? I mean, aren't you the least bit dizzy after everything I did?"

"Nah," he took off his coat and his white undershirt had a few rips, but not completely drenched with blood. "These are just scratches… luckily you made these just a little bit before I became half-demon again. I'm a faster healer anyways. It takes more than a furious demon to knock me off."

I suddenly got cold and started shivering in a cold sweat. He put his coat over me and kept stroking my forehead. I groaned, "Can't you do something to knock me out!"

"Humph, would you rather me sit on you or just go for the throat?" He joked.

"Um… the throat." His grip came really quick and felt everything going dark. My vision grew black and I shut my eyes just as he let go.

Inuyasha kept stroking my forehead as he saw me drift to sleep. His ears twitched as he saw Kagome in. "Inuyasha… how is she?"

"Well, she's stubborn, I'll give her that much."

"But isn't it strange? She said that she couldn't attack me… and I'm just as human as you were last night."

"Maybe she developed a soft spot for you… though I can't blame her for hating me…"

"She doesn't hate you, Inuyasha… Naraku corrupted her, knowing that she had what it took to kill you. Who knows what he might have said?"

"Only gives me more of a reason to take down that bastard…" He growled, digging a hand into the wood floor. "I bet he knows all of the right buttons to push too."

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Kagome asked, stroking my cheek. "It's like she's dripping in a cold sweat… like when you were poisoned by that spider head as a mortal."

"Yeah, but it shouldn't have this much effect on her because she's almost all demon."

"I don't think so…" Sango came in, "her demonic aura is dissipating. I think whatever happened regarding the jewel shards made her half-demon."

"Half-demon?" Inuyasha took another look, "I think you're right, Sango. The power of the jewel shards gave her the power of a full demon, but without them, I think she became half-demon."

"I wonder if that has to do with the effectiveness of Naraku's trick with those tainted jewel shards." Kagome wondered. She looked at Inuyasha, "Don't you think you should get those scratches looked at?"

"Humph, don't worry about me."

"You know that I have to, Inuyasha. What were you thinking last night getting yourself into that? How'd you… what possessed you to think you could take on her on your own? She was a fully transformed demon and you were mortal; she could have killed you."

He shrugged, "I admit, I was worried for a second when she had her hand around my throat. Still, I think something in my eyes possessed her to stop…"

"So, you knew you'd come out of it alive?"

"I didn't have a clue!" He shouted, "You know if I weren't mortal, I don't think I could have gotten through to her! Being mortal saved my life!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about those stupid human emotions… they're not so useless after all. Something happened and my human soul reached her like my voice couldn't. The reason for that still unsettles me…"

"Inuyasha… you care more about her than let yourself believe…" She teased and started laughed.

"What? What's so damn funny, Kagome!"

"Nothing… I just never thought I'd see the day… you actually care about her and you've been lying to yourself about it." Miroku, Sango and Shippo joined in at laughing at Inuyasha's expense.

"Will you all quit it! Get off my back…" Inuyasha looked away. "So I care, big deal! It's not like there's anything going on between us…"

"Yeah… I think that's the reason she didn't come after me. She likes the idea of me and you being together…" She jabbed him on the shoulder. He turned away, blushing, "Umm… don't be ridiculous Kagome…" She laughed, "Fine Inuyasha, be that way… Act like there's nothing going on between us." She said jokingly.

"You got that right…" Miroku whispered in Sango's ear, "Those two are hopeless." She nodded in agreement.

Shippo then pointed, "Hey Inuyasha, the princess is waking up…"

"Oh great… I wanted her to get some sleep, no thanks to you bone-heads!" Inuyasha barked.

"But she's acting weird…" Shippo continuing watching. Inuyasha turned around and saw me leaning up. "Hey, lay back down!" I looked at him, dizzily, my face red with fever. I crawled towards him, placed a hand on one of his legs, repositioned myself and for no reason, starting purring.

"Miroku, what is she doing?" Inuyasha asked, seeming a little uneasy.

"This may sound a little weird, but I think she's… purring, Inuyasha." Kagome pointed out, kneeling down for a closer look. "Buyo does that all the time when he's trying to be affectionate."

"Yeah, but it looks like she's only half-awake, Inuyasha. She could be just doing this in her sleep on account of the fever," Miroku clarified. I put a hand on Inuyasha's chest and I whispered, "Lay down." I put pressure on his chest and he fell over on his back. Then I put my head on his chest, putting my left hand next to my head and fell asleep again while still purring.

Inuyasha swallowed, "Okay… she's on top of me… now what?"

Kagome whispered in his ear, "Just let her sleep, Inuyasha…"

"You don't expect me to just lay around here all day…" He felt my forehead, "I think her fever took a turn for the worst… she's not doing this on her own. It's her fever…" He felt a shiver and looked down. Before his eyes, he saw my head transform from my human-like demon head to a white tiger head.

"Her demon form is fluctuating… she must be really ill."

"You think Miroku! You think!" He sighed, his bangs blowing off his face. He put his hand on mine, "Well, she's not sweating anymore, but she's resorted to shivering. That might be the reason for her transformation."

"You know, sometimes cats purr because they're scared. It's her own way to trying to comfort herself," Kagome added.

"What's she got to be scared of?"

"Oh, I don't know… dying, her demonic powers… I don't know, Inuyasha! You take your pick; you're so dense." Kagome looked away.

"Maybe it's… she really didn't want to kill me and the fact she almost did... that'd be enough to scare her. She promised me that she wouldn't come after me, but I had a feeling that something would possess her to. Naraku just knows how to bring out the worst in people, especially when it comes to rage…" He growled in anger.

I stopped purring. I opened my eyes and found myself laying on top of Inuyasha's chest. I let a tear fall from my left eye; my memory of what happened over the past few hours was gone. Still, I had a feeling that I almost committed a horrible crime. Shippo said, "Inuyasha, she's awake." I smiled, "Hi Shippo."

I inched up. "You shouldn't move just yet," he said. I automatically put a hand to my head. I gasped, "My head hurts…" I looked at my lap and saw Inuyasha's red coat. I picked it up and looked at his white shirt. It had dry blood stains on it. I put a hand on his chest and he inched back slightly. My eyes grew teary when I knew. "Did… did I do this?"

"You want the truth?" he said smugly. He undid his shirt and showed me the disappearing scratches on his bare chest. I sighed, "That's lucky."

"Yeah, you're right! You were _so lucky_!" He barked at me. I looked in his eyes; they betrayed him. I knew this was just a cover. I laughed, "You're such a liar…" For some reason, I started laughing uncontrollably. "I could tell, you were so stinkin' worried about me and you're just gonna put on a brave face like you didn't care…" Kagome and I joined in laughing, leaving Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha to scratch their heads in confusion.

Inuyasha brushed it off, "Humph, that fever must have gone to your head." Kagome stopped for a second, "Sit boy…" Inuyasha fell over and we kept laughing at his expense. Sango and Shippo joined in soon after.

"You guys have lost your minds!" Inuyasha shouted and raced out of the cabin in a huff.


	19. Where do I go from here?

I stopped laughing, "Do you think maybe we were a little too hard on him?"

"No… he deserved that. I mean, serves him right, trying to put on that tough act. We all know that he was bordering on scared to death." I stopped to think, "Really? He was that scared?"

"I mean, you shoulda seen his face. He's fired up now more than ever to face Naraku and kill him… all because of you."

"Yeah… it's weird." I thought on, "Naraku said that I had this mysterious link with Inuyasha. He said that Inuyasha was ready to give up when he was sealed to that tree, that he lost the will to live, and that I was the one thing keeping his heart going. Like… my dedication allowed his heart to keep beating…"

"Yeah, that is weird…"

"I don't believe that for a second. I mean, it's Naraku, he's all about lies. Sure, I'd like to believe that I have that sort of link with Inuyasha… but it's just one of things that go way over my head. It's just so ridiculous. I told him that you're the one that ended up awakening him…"

"Well, I don't pretend to take all of the credit. It was the fact that I was holding the Sacred Jewel and I asked for someone to help me when I was being chased by Mistress Centipede."

"Maybe… it was both of us…" Kagome shrugged. "Who knows?"

"We just gotta be thankful that Inuyasha's alive and well. I know I am…" I sighed in relief.

"I must say that I'm glad you're all right, princess." Miroku said. I then reached behind me and grabbed his hand. I narrowed my eyes and smiled, "Don't make me snap your wrist too." He took it back and I just laughed. "I'm only kidding, Miroku." Just then Sango smacked him across the face. I looked out the window and saw Inuyasha hanging out in the tree.

"Do you think I should make sure he's okay?"

"No, let him cool off for a while. You know how he gets sometimes."

"There's something else too…" Kagome turned to face me. "My friend, Raye, she was really Naraku in disguise this whole time. Like an idiot, I took her as my best friend. I think she came to the tribe a few days after I settled down and I accepted her into it."

"I'm really sorry." I nodded, "Well, the rest of the tribe is counting on me to come through. Still… I really need to do something about that demonic nature of mine… it's really dangerous."

"You'll figure it out…" Kagome patted my shoulder.

"I've had a lot of time to think lately… all about Inuyasha and everything. I don't know why I went off on him like I did… I guess I was hurt that he wasn't thinking of me as a friend. Of course, things can change…" My smile disappeared. "In a matter of days, I went from hate mode to lonely mode."

"Yeah, Inuyasha heard quite a few of your outbursts… but he heard you a few days later. I think he was a little confused by it."

I smiled, "Yeah, well… Koga paid me a visit… or actually, he was going after Raye, Naraku's most recent cover. He was after the jewel shards in his legs. I handed my jewel shard to Koga so I could let my demon nature take over. I tried to attack him, but he stopped me by pasting a hand to my stomach. That's when he inserted those tainted jewel shards. Koga couldn't even touch him because he put a barrier up. Instead of sticking around, he just floated away like we weren't a threat." I sat down, "So, Koga hung out with me for a couple of days and we got to talking. Looks like when I'm done with my training, I'm going to move my tribe in with his."

"Really? But that's like cats and dogs living together…"

"That's what I said, but he seemed to think it was a good idea. Something might have happened between us… I really don't know." I shrugged, "Then I was leaning towards him and my ear ended up by his heart. That's when I started to get a little worried. I was listening for some beat of reassurance, but Koga's heart just wasn't the same as Inuyasha's. Either Koga's is too strong or Inuyasha's has a more human beat to his. I fell to pieces… and I couldn't explain what happened." I hugged my knees, "I guess Inuyasha's just one of those guys where once you meet him, you can't forget him."

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean." She sat down next to me and started rubbing my shoulders. "I was about to sort everything out, how I felt about Inuyasha when Naraku showed up. Now, I don't know what to think. All I know is that I can't depend on him forever and I'd just get in the way."

"You don't know that." She kept massaging my shoulders, "you know, Inuyasha's softened a lot more lately. It's almost like he's not himself… especially towards me. Still, a lot probably has to do with what happened recently."

"What did happen recently?"

"Well, Kikyo died and Inuyasha was searching for her body. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and I were kidnapped by Kagura, an incarnation of Naraku. Then Kagura, she had this infant, and when I held him, things got really weird. He was reaching into my soul, but I couldn't stop him. He was reaching into me, feeding off my anger for Kikyo and Inuyasha for leaving me behind. Inuyasha came back for me, but I think the whole thing spooked him. That's when he vowed he'd never leave me alone again."

"Wow… that's the kind of thing I wanted to stay away from. I never wanted to cause trouble between you two."

"That's the weird part. You didn't cause any trouble between us; you helped bring us closer together. I'm grateful for that."

"Well… no problem, I guess." I stood up and continued to look out the window at Inuyasha. I sighed dreamily. "You're really lucky to have Inuyasha, Kagome… sometimes, I wish I could take your place. But I know that I can't… it's not meant to be. I know and I've accepted that… I can only wonder where my heart will lead me next."

"Inuyasha said that thanks to the removal of those tainted jewel shards, you're half-demon now. I'm sure you'll find some other half-demon or human that'll be just right for you."

I twitched, "Not human…" I let that bit of anger pass through me with a sigh. "Half-demons are hard to come by, not to mention those who are as strong as Inuyasha are even rarer." I looked outside again and saw that Inuyasha had jumped out of the tree and was heading back in our direction.

That's when Kaede came into our cabin. "Oh, I see you've awoken, child."

"Lady Kaede." I gasped, taking her hand. "It's been a while since we last met."

"Ai, and how are ye fairing?"

"Right now, I feel pretty good." I put a hand on my bandage, "Thanks for the herbs. They saved my life."

"Ai, but Inuyasha was the one who brought ye here."

"I know." I nodded when I saw Inuyasha peek in. I blinked, "I'll be right back, Lady Kaede."

"Hold on, don't ye need to rest a bit more to recover from your injuries?"

"There's something I need to take care of." When I drew my attention back to the flap, Inuyasha had already 'turned tail' and left.


	20. Much Ado about HalfDemons

He was walking away when I got outside. I ran over to him, "Hey Inuyasha!"

He didn't turn around. I rushed to his side, "Hey." I smiled, but he was looking at me in a way that said 'leave me alone.' He looked away. I blinked, "What's the matter?"

"It's nothin'." Then he shouted, "Shouldn't you be resting! I mean, you almost died!" I gasped, "Yeah, well…"

"Humph… get going with the apologies and such! I've already wasted enough time…" I grabbed his sleeve and I heard him gasp. "What are you…"

"Don't go off pretending like nothing happened." I solemnly remarked.

"It's you that's pretending! Pretending to be fine when I know you're not!"

"Look at me, damn it!" He looked over and his expression flashed from angry to slightly confused. There was a pause. I looked up to reveal the tears in my eyes. I immediately started sobbing and rushed into his arms. "Inuyasha!" I cried, holding onto his coat, "I'm so sorry! I break my promise; I never meant to attack you and try to kill you!"

"I forgive you…" He looked away, seeming distracted. I sniffled, "Why didn't you just leave me? You could have left me for dead; after what I tried to do, I didn't deserve that."

"I just don't think life should be taken like that, that's all. Besides… I kinda got used to having you around, so I wasn't going to let you too soon."

"Huh?" I looked up, "What on earth are you babbling about?"

"Since you scrubbed last night, I need to set up your final test… but it's going to take a long time for me to become human again. I'll release you once that night has passed. Whether you pass or fail, I'm… proud of the progress you've made."

"You're proud… that's all you can think to say…" I sighed, "what am I going to do with you?"

"Nothin', except follow orders, maybe…" He held me close, "Just don't go running off on me like that or getting yourself into trouble like last night… I'd hate to see you go through that again."

"Why can't you just admit that you were scared? It'd make me feel a little better."

"I… I can't…" I looked up. His bright yellow eyes were struggling with this. He whispered, shutting them. "I can't because… I was more than scared… so much about last night… reminded me of myself. The thirst for blood, the killing… all of it…" He looked away, "It's been so long since my last transformation… I nearly forgot what it was like." He loosened his embrace when I felt an urge to look at my hands.

I screamed in shock of what I saw—Inuyasha's blood all over my hands. "My god…" I rushed to the nearby river to wash off the blood. I started freaking out when his scent still lingered, even after getting the stains off my hands. I walked out of the water and shook them furiously. I sat on a rock. Inuyasha sat next to me, "That's exactly what I did… when my hands kept smelling of the bandits' blood…" I sighed in thought, "While you have a fiery spirit about you, I've gotten used to your kinder side. Seeing you discard that to embrace your inner rage… I don't want to see you go through that again…" He gulped, "It was terrifying."

"Well, what about me! I'm the one who almost committed a murder! I'm petrified over what happened…" I shouted, "Could you just explain to me why you didn't just leave me behind! Can you possibly forgive me for what I almost did!"

"Well, I don't know to explain it myself… I guess it's those stupid human emotions. They always get the better of me around that time…"

I let out a giggle, "Inuyasha, I'm sure there's more to it than that."

"Well, I can't exactly explain what else it could be!"

"Fine, be that way…" I stood up and started walking away.

"Where do you think you're going!"

"Look… if you're not going to be open with me, then there's no point in talking to you about last night."

"Hey! Do you expect me to tell you everything going on in my head!"

"No!" I turned around, "I don't expect you to tell me every little thing… but it'd be make me feel a hell of a lot better if I knew why you want to keep me around."

"You want to know why?" I shot him a look, narrowing my eyes. I started walking away. "Wait, I'm not through with you yet!" I stopped so he could catch up. "I took up training you so there'd be another strong half-demon out there!"

I shrugged, "Sounds reasonable enough. Can't say I've met any other half-demons…" I looked him in the eye, "You know, just a few days ago, I was talking to Koga. He proposed for my tribe to move in with his."

"Are you out of your mind!"

"Maybe… I mean, he seemed so nice, and he could help protect us and everything."

"Oh, so I guess he has you all wrapped around his finger now, is that it?" He teased.

"No!" I stepped back. "I was this close… this close to thinking that we can be involved that way." I rubbed my arms. "What'd he do to you?" He tried to reach a hand over, but I shooed it away. "Nothing! His heart did all the talking for me." I shuddered and started walking away; Inuyasha kept following.

"I don't know what I was thinking… I figured that if anything would tell me what was right or wrong, his heart would." I continued rubbing my arms, "I don't know how I developed this thing for listening to hearts, but hearts never lie. While it beat strong, it was maybe… too strong. It was like… it had a powerful beat to it… but there was something comforting about it."

"So, that's when…"

"Yeah, I fell to pieces for no reason at all." I sighed, "I'm just saying it might not be wise to keep me around. Now that I've grown dependent on you, even if I complete my training… I might not want to leave. I don't want to depend on you my whole life."

"Well, I can train you to be as strong as I am, so you won't have to." He put a hand on my shoulder and I knew it was his way of comforting me. "Now that I've rejoined you… I'm not so sure about Koga's offer anymore. It sounded good at the time, only because I didn't think I'd see you again for a while. Sure, I wouldn't mind having Koga protect me and everything, but… I don't think I could ever give my heart to him… or any other demon for that matter."

He was silent. "I'll just leave it at that, I guess…" The hand on my shoulder was surprisingly all the comfort I needed. To get rid of the awkwardness of what I just said, I said, "Just so you know, I appreciate all that you've done for me… can't say I deserve it, but I appreciate it."

"Yeah, whatever." I laughed, "Are you always so mellow when someone gives you thanks?" He was silent. I kept my composure, "Fine… be that way. See if I care."

"Do you have always have to be so difficult?"

"I get it from you… you answer that question." We continued walking, but I felt the need to feel the bandage on my stomach. "Fine, hop on my back, I'll take you back." Inuyasha knelt down. I grabbed around his waist and hung on tight as he sprinted back to the cabin. I laughed on the inside simply cuz I tricked him into bringing me back.


	21. Koga Speaks the Truth, Sort of

When we got back to the cabin, he carried me inside and laid me down. I then realized that I still had his coat. "Inuyasha… here's your…"

"Eh, keep it… it's supposed to be a bit on the cold side tonight." I sighed, holding onto it. "Aren't you sick of always hiding your emotions? I feel like you're always trying to put on a strong front to protect yourself or something…"

"Humph, it's just the way I've lived until recently. I had to take care of myself and I could depend only on myself. Emotions just get in my way…"

"They don't have to… I mean, for me, they never get in my way. Other than when I lose my temper at your enemies or even you, emotions are all I know. The jewel shard in my heart tells me so…" I put the coat on over my pelt, "It feels nice…"

"Yeah… my mother gave it to me, and it was from my father to her…" I looked at his eyes and it looked like he was sad about something. "What was she like?"

"She was… beautiful and kind, she took care of me and sheltered me when I needed to be sheltered." I sat up and rubbed his shoulder. "I can imagine what your life was like, being half-demon and all… Although my mother wasn't human, she and the tribe sheltered me. Actually, life in the tribe was all I knew. I just don't know where I'd be if I didn't come upon you sealed to that tree. I very well could have completely given up on everything…"

"Well, I'm glad you didn't. Although we came from different places, I think we have a lot in common… We grew up with our mothers, but as for our fathers, we know little to nothing. I don't even remember what he looked like; it's not like I care all that much."

"Yeah… I mean, my father left before I was born… so I don't have a clue what he was like. That's why I didn't know if he was human or half-demon. It sure seems like yours at least cared about you. He left you a sword that protects you from his demon blood."

"Yeah…" He looked at me with eyes that looked like they were ready for tears, but he was afraid to let them fall. "I have my tribe that depends on me, but as for friends, I don't really have any besides you guys. I don't know if there's even anyone out there that I'd want to give my heart to."

"What do you mean?"

"I doubt you'd understand… emotions mean nothing to you, remember?" I laid down as my heart suddenly felt heavy. I wanted to tell Inuyasha the truth, but I was afraid of what he might say. I knew I had no chance, but it killed me to keep such a huge thing from him. I let out a large exhale and drifted off to sleep.

Inuyasha looked down to see me asleep. He thought, 'Was she trying to tell me something important?' Kagome popped in, "Hey, when'd you guys get back?"

"Just now… her stomach was hurting her, so I brought her back. Kagome," he paused.

"Yes, Inuyasha?"

"I think we bonded quite a bit… and, I get a sneaky feeling that she was really trying to tell me something."

"Oh, like what, Inuyasha?"

"She started talking to me about how she thinks with her heart… and I flat out told her that emotions just get in my way. It's creepy," he rubbed his arm, "I feel like she's getting under my skin… and it's leaving me feeling a little on edge. She's just so open with her emotions and I just can't be…" I looked back down, "I get the sneaky suspicion that there's one thing she's holding back."

"Well, if you expect her to do that, you need to show her how you feel about her. Do you like her as a friend or as a best friend? That kind of thing… you don't expect her to give her all the answers, do you?"

He crossed his arms, "Humph, I guess not. Nobody ever gives me all the answers."

"If you keep building these walls around yourself, you'll never get any answers from anyone." She turned away.

"I just feel like whenever she gets under my skin, like she exposes my heart… it's very unnerving… I just don't know why she gets to me or how she does it."

"Well, you've got a whole month to figure that out, Inuyasha." She smiled. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, "Yeah, whatever." He looked outside, seeing the sun was starting to set. "You thinking of turning in, Kagome?"

"I was actually, since we had such a long night last night."

"I told you, I never sleep when I'm transformed, and it's because someone's always keeping me busy." Suddenly, Inuyasha caught a whiff of something. "Oh great, what's he doing here?"

"What? Who is it, Inuyasha?" He went through the door flap, followed by Kagome, to find Koga newly arrived at the village. "Koga? What are you doing here?"

"Hey mutt, I caught the smell of the princess's blood and I followed it all the way here! What'd you do to her?"

"Why do you have to thinking that it's my fault?"

"Because when Kagome's in danger, you're the cause of it."

"Not always, you wimpy wolf!"

"Guys, keep it down. Someone's trying to sleep." Kagome drew Koga's attention away for a moment. He headed for the cabin, but Inuyasha stood in his way. "She just got to sleep, wolf, so leave her alone…"

"Whatever, I just wanted to check on things here. Her tribe's been a little concerned since she left without so much as a word. I'm kind of keeping an eye on things while she's away, training with you."

He growled, but relaxed for a minute. "Kagome, keep the princess company and if she wakes up, tell her I'll be right back."

"Ok Inuyasha, just promise me that you won't kill Koga."

"Can't promise you that." He brushed it off and followed Koga into the woods outside of the village.

"If you must know, wolf, she was attacked by Naraku. She tried to attack him, but he implanted some tainted jewel shards in her stomach. He invoked so much rage in her that she was unable to contain herself. She came after me and was ready to finish me off too."

"Oh, so that would explain the blood stains…" Koga pointed, seeming uninterested. Inuyasha growled and turned his head away. "Anyway, I snapped her out of it, but the jewel shards took quite a bit out of her. If I hadn't brought her to the priestess, Kaede, she could have died! I could have left her behind, but I refused to, even though she told me to."

"Oh, I see…" Koga smiled. "See what, wolf!"

"You care more about her than you tell her." He crossed his arms, "I tell you, you should have seen her just the other day. She was so lost without you that she just burst into tears; you should watch the way you treat her. Next time she attacks you, you might not be as lucky."

"Humph, like I don't know that already."

"Did you also know that she had debated over the way she feels about you? She's either hiding something or you should really try to look past the surface. The whole time I was with her, I never called you a mutt or half-breed or whatever, but I kept telling her how much of an idiot you are."

"Like how!"

"That's just my point. You're such a simpleton that you fail to grasp the obvious; you don't see what's right in front of your eyes. She'd do anything for you, even die for you, and you don't so much as care to even blink at it. If that were me, I'd be flattered."

"Yeah, maybe I just don't work that way!" He turned away.

"I'd watch myself if I were you, half-breed. Because if you don't grasp the obvious soon, chances are that she'll do exactly what she says she's going to do. Then, you might not be able to do anything about it." Inuyasha turned his back, trying to hide his insecurities from Koga.

"Fine, be that way, half-breed. I'm out of here." Inuyasha turned around just as Koga's tornado left. Not knowing what to think, Inuyasha headed back to the cabin.


	22. This is My Path

When he opened the flap, he saw Kagome sitting with my head on her lap. "Hey, what did Koga want?"

"He just came to tell me that I'm an idiot… same as usual." She narrowed her eyes, "not same as usual, Inuyasha. I can see right through you…" He looked down. "How's she doing?"

"Pretty good." Inuyasha sat down, folding his legs as he gazed at me. He blinked when he saw tears form in my eyes again. I whispered in my sleep, "Inuyasha…"

"Kagome, would you mind…"

"Sure Inuyasha, I'll be right outside." She gently laid me down as she walked out. Inuyasha shifted over for a closer view. He put a hand to my stomach, "seems like the bleeding has stopped at least."

"Inuyasha…" I kept whispering in my sleep as I continued silently crying. Not knowing what came over him, Inuyasha gently picked me off the floor and held me close to him. He whispered as he shut his eyes, "I don't know what you're doing to me… I wish I knew what was going on… I used to think I knew everything about myself, but this leaves me puzzled. I promise to do everything I can to protect you… I don't ever want you to give your life for me. That would just open up old wounds because I wanted to do the same for Kikyo. I just don't want to have to go through that again; having someone's death weighing on my shoulders because I couldn't do anything to stop it."

He opened his eyes, stroked my bangs with one hand while still holding me with the other. I shifted a little. I opened my eyes and saw myself in an unusual position. I looked on my right shoulder and I saw Inuyasha's clawed hand. I whispered, "If you were this worried about me, you should have just said it. You don't have to always hide your emotions." I looked up until his gaze matched mine. I repositioned myself on his lap and brought my right arm around his back for a better embrace. I whispered, "That's better…"

"You… you didn't hear anything I just said, did you?"

"No, I was dreaming again…"

"Why… why were you crying in your sleep? Were you reliving what happened last night?"

"No… I saw myself unable to help you. You were in your human form and were paralyzed by some sort of attack. I too was injured and I was unable to reach you in time. I just want you to live, Inuyasha, but you always seem to be dying in my dreams. That just scares me so much."

"Well, the thought of you dying for my sake scares me enough as it is!" He held me tighter. I moved my head until I heard that familiar heartbeat. My eyes glistened with tears, "It's been far too long since I've heard that wonderful heartbeat of yours." I sighed, "Hush, Inuyasha… let us sleep now. Tomorrow, we resume the training… and this time we're going to finish it."

I waited for a moment, but he was still tense. "Just relax," I let out a little laugh, "you've already revealed enough to me. Try not to think so much…" I let out another sigh, but it was a more cleansing sigh. A second later, Inuyasha let out a similar sigh. His breathing lessened to a whispered breath, letting me listen to his heart with the same calmness as the first night I've stood by him.

The heartbeat I heard was exactly the same as it was that first night. It beat strong, but also had an ounce of doubt. I know now that Inuyasha had truly stolen my heart and there was no way I couldn't put myself before him. No matter how much of a jerk he can be, or how he begs me not to give up, I can't see my destiny going any other way. Nobody had ever cared for me before and I cared enough for the both of us. Even if Inuyasha doesn't feel the same way about me that I do for him, I'd put my life on the line for him any day. If any strong half-demon is to carry us into the future, I'd rather it be him than me.

I looked up at Inuyasha as I heard him softly snore away. I put my other hand on his chest. I whispered so softly not even a silent cricket could hear me, "I love you, Inuyasha… and my wish is for you to live, even if I am to die making that wish come true." That's when Inuyasha's heartbeat slowly lulled me to sleep in the warmness of his arms.


	23. Training Elsewhere

I felt like we slept for forever; when I opened my eyes, the sun was shining in the sky. I looked at Inuyasha and he was still peacefully sleeping the day away. I giggled. I looked at the way he had his arms around me, not too tight, but just tight enough. How could I have gone off thinking that he was thinking about Kikyo when he held me? The way he acted last night was proof enough; he did care about me, quite a bit. I checked my stomach and the bleeding had stopped. I felt a lot better than I did before, and it was thanks to Inuyasha. I put a hand on his shoulder and shook him. He slowly opened his eyes, "Is it… is it morning?"

"Yeah, I think it's close to noon, actually." He opened his eyes more and blinked a couple of times. He then yawned, showing off his fangs. He then shut his eyes again. I laughed, "I guess you're still a little tired. All right, I'll let you sleep." I stroked his bangs as he drifted off to sleep again.

I tiptoed back outside to see everyone having lunch. I looked at the sun, "Wow… we slept late."

"Hey, how'd you sleep?" Shippo came over. I stretched my arms, "Really well… no more nightmares. Although," I looked back, "I think Inuyasha's still a bit drowsy. I'll let him sleep for an hour or so." I shrugged, "It's still weird… he fell asleep before I did…"

"Maybe he's a little weak from a couple of nights ago," Shippo suggested.

"Yeah, took me a while to calm him down enough to get him to sleep." I took off his coat. "I think I'll get this washed for him." I folded it in my arms and took it down to the river. I stoked a fire and dried it off by it. I thought back to the peaceful look on Inuyasha's face when he sleeps. I smiled, "Well… I guess I might have had something to do with it."

After folding up the dried up coat, I decided to might as well take a bath myself. I hung out in the water for what seemed like hours, molding everything over in the water. A few moments later, a couple of water imps came after me, most likely going for my jewel shard. I took my spear, whirled it around in circles and scared them off.

I got back to the surface and Kagome was already there waiting for me. I shook myself off and she handed me my clothes. I undressed with my back turned in case Miroku decided to sneak a peek. I turned around to pick up Inuyasha's coat. "So, has he woken up yet?"

"Yeah. He even lent me his undershirt to get washed too. Everything looks good through, all of the scratches have healed themselves. Still, he was still a little sleepy even after sleeping in so late."

"Yeah… I guess I made him so calm that I might have put him in a slightly tranquil state. He got a little tense the last night and somehow, he was so relaxed… compared to every other night I've spent with him, he slept a lot more peacefully." I laughed, "That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to stay for too long… that calmness could very well affect more about him than his sleeping habits."

Miroku came a moment later. "Hey princess, want to try some one-on-one combat? My staff against your spear?"

"Sure," I grabbed it and took off the point. We pretty much fought like a sword-fight, but less aggressive. He progressed a bit more as we went, but otherwise, it was definitely challenging in the slightest. A minute after finishing, I asked, "Did you come up with that on your own or was it Inuyasha's idea?"

"It was his idea…" He rolled his shoulder in a circle. "Ah… don't know what you did, but he's been kind of out of it."

"Maybe he just needs an extra day to recuperate." I shrugged, "I kept asking him the other day 'are you sure you're not dizzy from losing all that blood?' But no… he had to spend all of yesterday fighting with me and not showing the way he really feels."

I smiled sneakily at him and Kagome. "I think I might have broken him in a little; I finally got him to admit that he was worried about me. I pried him so much about not showing his emotions upfront, but I think I'll stop doing that. Who knows what it could to do him? I wouldn't want to… make him soft."

Kagome finished ringing out Inuyasha's undershirt and we headed back. "Hey Shippo, anything new on Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"No, he's still in there." He shook his head, "I don't know what's going on with him."

Kagome and I headed in to find him sleeping, sitting up with his arms folded. His ears then twitched. His eyes opened. We knelt down next to him. "We washed out your clothes for you," we both said together and laughed.

"Thanks." He slipped on his undershirt, buttoned it up and put on his coat. "Gotta say it feels a lot better without those blood stains."

"Are you up for some lunch or breakfast or whatever you want to call?" I asked. He blinked, "Sure." He stretched his arms, got up and started rotating and cracking his right shoulder.

As he ate, I looked at the fire and kept wondering if I made him so tired. After finishing up, he laid back. I asked, "Hey Inuyasha… did you catch up on a lot of sleep?"

"Yeah… and it was unlike any sleep I've had in a while. I had no dreams or anything, just restoring energy."

"I figured that somewhere along the way you'd get tired after doing so much." Kagome pointed out. He shot a look at me, "I guess we'll have to continue the training tomorrow."

"Miroku was a pretty good sparring partner; who knew he'd be good at anything besides flirting? Not that he's really good at that." Inuyasha smiled for a second, "Can't argue with you through."

I shrugged, "So, what do you have in mind for my training?"

"Not exactly sure… I guess we could always find some demons to take care of…" I got up. "Hey, where're you going?"

"I'm going to get some water if anyone would want to come with me."

"I'll go," Shippo volunteered and Sango decided to join us with Keilala. Shippo jumped on my shoulder, "So, are you feeling better?"

"A lot better… don't think I'd still be here without Inuyasha's help."

"It's just weird how he'd go out of his way like this."

"Yeah… I still wonder about that myself, but maybe with him, it's better not to ask questions. That just makes things more complicated."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain, Shippo." I looked back at Sango, "do you have any other weapons, Sango?"

"Well, when I can't use my Hiraikotsu, I always have a sword," she pressed a switch on her wrist, "and a dagger just in case."

"Mind if we work a bit more on my swordplay?"

"Sure, I'm all for that." By the river, we just went back and forth, showing off our fencing. It was definitely more challenging than facing Miroku and it was pretty cool seeing a girl being able to kick butt with a sword. While we took a break, I asked, "So, how'd you end up traveling with Inuyasha and the others?"

"Well, Naraku has my brother, KoHaku under his control. I need to get my brother back from him; only problem is that his memory had been wiped clean."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure with everyone pitching in, you'll get him back."

"Thank you. So, you don't have any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope, but a lot of the cubs in the tribe look up to me. Most especially are the ones I saved from that fire. They're the future of the tribe and I'd hate to see their lives cut short. I might not be the strongest demon or half-demon for that matter, but I always want to be at my best, in case something worse than a fire comes along."

"I gotta say that I admire so much about you." She laughed, "even how you freak Miroku out sometimes."

"Well, I figure that I gotta be tough, even against humans like him."

"Do you think you'll ever completely trust humans again?" I shook my head, "I want humans and demons to get along, but humans are so easily persuaded. I know from experience that they have the potential a lot more dangerous than demons, especially when they're in large groups."

"Kagome tells me that you'd rather settle down with a half-demon than a human. You certainly have your work cut out for you."

"Well… that's still a complicated matter. If I am to ever find the right one, I need to listen to my heart, as well as theirs. That's the one thing capable of telling me the truth from the lies." After getting another drink of water from the river, I decided it was time to head back. I rubbed my shoulders from the cold. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" I breathed out. "Maybe I should start loosening my bond with Inuyasha… it might get too hard for me to leave. I wanted to get to the emotional epicenter, but I'm afraid of what I could do to him. Inuyasha isn't someone that shows that epicenter very often and I should keep it that way. Not everyone can deal with emotions 24/7 like I do."

"All right, if you say so." Shippo shook his head. I laughed, "Well, it's the truth. Inuyasha runs on primarily on fighting… maybe that's why he was so drowsy. Fighting is all he really knows… I gotta snap him out of this rut and really give him a fight." I got an idea, "Sango, do you think I could borrow your sword for a while? Then maybe Inuyasha can teach me to swordfight with his Tetsusaiga… when it's not transformed of course." She nodded, having it over to me. I strapped it to my belt.

"Yeah, I think that'll work." I paused, looking up the hill to see Inuyasha waiting for us.


	24. Where Have Those Feelings Gone?

"How long have you been there?"

"Just got here." He smiled for a second and turned around, "C'mon, let's get going." Shippo and Sango looked at each other and shrugged. I whispered, "Shippo, I'm gonna go ahead…"

"Ok, it's been nice talking to you." I rushed up to join Inuyasha on his right. "So, you feeling better?"

"Well, I feel good after getting so much sleep." He kept his arms crossed as we walked.

"Well, since you slept in so late, maybe we can get some late night training in…" I had another thought, "I know you said that you didn't want to do any night training, but I figured… I might as well suggest it."

"I don't see why not."

"I'm sorry that I tried to make you… soft. I don't know what I did to you last night… I just don't think what I did was right if I almost put you in an almost sedated state."

"Well… I guess that's a case where I just got too much of a good thing." He grinned in a way that I hadn't seen in a while; it was his challenging grin. "When we get back, I'm not going easy on you. At least the untransformed Tetsusaiga isn't quite as sharp as it can be. It'll be the thing taking it easy on you."

"Race you back!" I suddenly felt like I had to take off. I got on all fours and zigzagged back and forth through the trees. A moment later, I saw a red blur going through the trees. I decided to crank it up and started doing black flips until I got to the campsite. I turned around and saw Inuyasha already standing there, smirking at me.

I started laughing, "I know, you think I'm an idiot…"

"Draw out your sword, stupid!" I quickly reached for it, a little thrown off by this sudden change. I blocked a hit from the Tetsusaiga. He starting coming at me and I could only block the swipes for the first minute or two. It took me a while to get things into perspective. I molded the idea into my head; right now, Inuyasha and I aren't friends.

I started that fire going in my heart and I started fighting back. After I kicked in the burners, we were going at it as the growing crescent moon rose into the sky. We kept going back and forth, but every 10-20 minutes, Inuyasha would throw a curveball and I kept up with it. After a few hours, I decided to flip right over his head and see if he could keep up with it. Then, he used his sword to knock off my balance. I ended up flat on my back. I then kicked the sword out of his hand and reached my own, pointing it at his throat. When he went to go for his sword, I flipped myself back on my feet, not caring that my foot was probably bleeding.

I inhaled, "So, how do I know when you want us to stop?"

"Let's see how far we can go; if either of us can get the other on the ground with their sword at their throat, that's when we stop." He laughed, "I'm not about to go easy. I'm giving it my all!"

"I can tell." We continued going back and forth as the moon rose higher into the sky. The rage I kept lightly burning was keeping me awake and I wasn't the least bit tired. Inuyasha kept pouring it on and I had to match that step for step. A few minutes later, he commented, "Next time spare me the trickery. Doing back flips don't always work to your advantage."

"Figured it was worth a shot…"

"Let's take this downhill a bit, make things more interesting." We headed back through the woods, past the camping site and to the hill that lead us to the river. We continued our swordplay down the hill, shuffling our feet to prevent rolling out of control.

"We end it here, whoever ends up in the river, loses!" He called it. We crossed our swords, not giving each other any lip. We rotated around in a circle, pretty much testing each other's strength. The only difference between us was that I had a bleeding foot that didn't hurt at all. Inuyasha decided to take the next by trying to sweep the leg with the bleeding foot. I fell backwards and took his leg with me. We ended up on our backs, both exhausted from the fight we've kept up for five hours. We both got up, dropping our swords and grabbed each other by the collar, trying to force the other in the ground.

I saw the speed at which the river was flowing, so I figured it was best to drag the both of us into it. I kept a solid stare as I got to my feet and I leaped into the river, dragging Inuyasha with me. The river carried us all the way to the waterfall. I let the waves break over me like it was no big deal; it was quite refreshing.

When I washed ashore, I was just so exhausted that I just lay there, catching my breath. I flipped over, kneeling while I coughed the water out of my lungs. I then let myself fall to the ground and let the exhaustion take off. A moment later, however, I felt something touch my foot. I gasped and rolled over. "Oh," it was Inuyasha, "it's you…"

"Yeah, did you know you were going with your foot cut up?"

"Why? How bad is it?"

"Not that bad… if it were the transformed Tetsusaiga, it would have come clean off." He turned around, placing his hands behind him. "C'mon, I'll take you back." I nodded and jumped his back as he hopped through the woods back to the river. I picked up Sango's sword and we continued our trek back. "So, your foot isn't hurting you at all?"

"No… I just kept going like it was nothing."

"I'd have done the same… I gotta say that fire in your eyes was interesting."

"Well, I kept this flame burning in me that allowed me to focus on the fighting. The first minute, I was so taken by surprise that I didn't know how to react."

"You still made up for it, at least."

"So, how'd I do?"

"You have the potential to fight to the death against any enemy. You were willing to keep our fight going for five hours or so; I couldn't tell that you were a princess. They broke the mold when they made you."

I giggled, "yeah, they like to talk…"

"We'll have Miroku take a look at your foot when we get back, which should be about…" he got past the tree line, "now…"

He let me off his back at the campsite. Kagome stood up, "So how'd it go?"

"Really well… just gotta deal with a little injury." I said as I walked inside. I sat down and looked at my foot. There was a large cut through the bottom of my foot as well as the top. I wondered why it didn't hurt. A moment later, Miroku came by with a bandage. Inuyasha watched with his arms crossed. I hissed when he applied the healing herbs. After he wrapped it up, it was fine again. "There we go."

"All right, cool." I smiled, folding my legs. "I gotta say, Inuyasha, that's the biggest work-out I've had in… forever."

"I'm surprised you took that cut like it was nothin'. I figured it would have stopped you."

"Nope… It just didn't seem important." I put a hand to the jewel shard. "I think the jewel shard helped keep me in check. It was letting me keep my rage burning, but it kept it check. I didn't get out of hand or anything; I still can't believe that."

"Well, at least you're getting good use out of it." He crossed his arms. I shrugged, "It's weird… it's like you're either all one thing or all the other. There's no in-between." I lay down and thought aloud, "Sure, I liked seeing your tender side, but too much of it might not be good for you. Your furious side gets me fired up, but outside of training, it just doesn't work for me."

I didn't know what happened; all of a sudden, everything that I felt about Inuyasha got all tangled up together. I couldn't tell one thing from another. I liked both sides of Inuyasha, but for some reason, he just can't be both. I sat up, looking at Inuyasha. He was looking back at me curiously. I looked away, putting a hand to my heart. That same spark wasn't there; that fire of desire wasn't burning within me when I looked at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I looked back at him and the emptiness in my heart spread. I shrugged it off, "Just forget it…" I laid down, almost wanting to cry, but I couldn't.

"Are you sure nothing's botherin' ya?" He leaned closer. I looked away, "Inuyasha… I'd really like to be alone tonight." I turned my back, "Just go…"

"If that's what you want," he got up, "good night princess. Training resumes at noon sharp and if you sleep late, I'll come to drag you out!"

I put on a brave act to make up for the emptiness, "I wouldn't have it any other way." He let the flap close behind him and it was just me in the cabin. Now that he was gone, I felt my heart slowly start to break. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I no longer felt the way I did about Inuyasha. I guess I figured that I could no longer listen to his heart as a tool to calm him down or relax myself. Doing so too often wouldn't be good for him, but I knew that it'd be hard for me to get used to being without. Even though I wished for the feelings I had to come back, I decided it was better not to have them since it was better for Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stepped back outside and sat by the fire. "So, how'd it go?" Kagome asked.

"All things considered, it went really well. I have to say that she's definitely gotten a lot stronger than she was in the beginning. Plus, the jewel shard keeps her in check. She didn't come after me with a vengeance, but she fought with her hardest, the same way I do. She also doesn't tire easily. We were at it for five hours straight." He shrugged, "I was really impressed…"

"Is there something else that's bothering you?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" He looked away.

"Did something else happen between you two?" He scratched his head, "I don't think if it was something I did or what, but she told me that she wanted to be alone. Something just doesn't feel right." He scratched his neck with his foot, "Still, nothing else about today felt right either. First, I'm so tired that I had to keep sleeping, now this." He folded his arms and looked into the fire. Then he looked at the glowing crescent moon and got up.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome called to him.

"I think I want to sleep in that tree tonight. Give myself some time to think." He turned around and sprinted back up the tree and sat on the top set of branches. "Why do I feel like something bad's happened? And why do I feel like I'm the cause of it? After what happened last night, I don't know what to think of her anymore." Feeling somewhat confused and disoriented of the events of the previous day, Inuyasha had trouble getting to sleep.

"Have I really become so hooked on having her that close? How does she did it? These feelings are… so new to me, it's weird." He continued to consider those feelings in his dreams, but sleep didn't come easily… to either of us that night.


	25. Have I Underestimated him?

The most unusual thing about my dreams was the void that seemed to be in my heart. I kept seeing visions that otherwise would have had me crying in my sleep; Inuyasha get killed off by whomever, Sesshomaru, Naraku, even spider heads. I'd see him suffer continuous; either I knew I was dreaming or something was wrong with me. I would have normally gone after him, tried to protect him, but I just stood there watching.

A voice then come to me. "Every time he transformed into a demon, he loses a piece of himself." I paused, knowing it was Miroku. I saw him and Sango by the river, talking about Inuyasha's most recent transformation. I wondered, "What if I'm going through the same thing? Maybe I lost a piece of myself when I made us fall into that river, or even when I myself transformed. I wouldn't put it past me; I've gotten so much like Inuyasha lately. I also wondered if I had changed my mind about self-sacrifice or at least my attitude. I came to see that maybe I wanted to sacrifice my own happiness so Inuyasha can be the best he can be in whatever he does. I was completely fine with that and it even left open space for me to find someone else to care about.

I got up the next morning and spent it having a swim in the river. I found out that I was cool with what I was doing; who needs love when you're as strong as Inuyasha? I was getting to be as strong as him in terms of being a half-demon; maybe I've dropped the need for emotions to run my life. I figured that emotions might distract me anyway. I then realized that my dreams were just ridiculous. Inuyasha isn't defenseless and I don't have to be protecting him; he can very well take care of himself. Maybe I've just been worrying to much.

I headed back to see Inuyasha patiently tapping his foot. I shrugged, "I've only been gone for about an hour… don't make such a big deal about it."

"Listen… about yesterday…"

"Just forget it… I had a great time, seeing you fight one on one like that. It was such a rush; I feel like I've been missing that my whole life."

"I was gonna ask if you slept well, but it seems that way." He yawned and stretched. I laughed, "I guess you didn't so much."

"Nah… but whatever it was, it's blown over." Sango and Kagome came rushing back to us from the east.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"It's the village, it's being over attacked by a pack of bandits being lead by a moth demon."

"All right!" Inuyasha took out his Tetsusaiga. "That does it, I'm so sick of insects!" He rushed in the direction the girls came from and I followed close behind. When we got there, it was chaos everywhere. There were fires, people struck down by arrows and bandits everywhere laughing. They spotted Inuyasha right away and they looked really scared. He growled, "All right, where's your leader, you miserable excuse for humans!"

A female moth demon came out from the crowd. Inuyasha scoffed, "Keh, don't tell me you're going to finish what Gatenmaru started!"

"What if I am?" She bit her lip in a smile, "So, you're the half demon who killed him… I expected as much."

"Spare the pleasantries! I'm gonna take you out; being a girl doesn't mean I'll go easy on you!"

"Not so fast… I'm very choosy about who I fight… tell you what. I'll fight the little tigress demon and then I'll consider your offer."

"No way! This is between me and you; she wasn't involved in my fight with Gatenmaru!" I stepped up, "Hold on, Inuyasha. Let me take her on. Don't try protecting me just because of what happened to you in the past."

"I'm not trying to protect; moth demons are a race of demons I'd like to exterminate myself!"

"You know what? I don't know why I even need your permission. I know the risks and I figured it's about time I had a real challenge."

"In that case, here…" He let the Tetsusaiga return to normal and handed it to me. "We'll see how you do in battle and I'll always be here to back you."

"Thanks, but don't need it." I snapped my wrist and the sword transformed. "Let's get this over with."

"More than glad to. You'll be sorry you decided to tangle with Katanamaru, new leader of the moth demons of the southwest."

I came at her with the sword, but she was wicked fast. I felt like the sword was weighing me down slightly, keeping me from going at my usual speed. A fume of poison came from her mouth and I back-flipped over her head and landed behind her. I then slashed through her back with the sword. Then she put a hand to her back and slowly sealed the wound back up.

"I work with silk… it'll take more than a simple toy sword to get rid of me." She then started breathing out the poison. I covered my mouth and leaped backwards away from her. She then came rushing for me, now her hands fuming with poison. I kept flinging the sword at her, but she kept healing all of her wounds.

Then she started spitting out silk from her own mouth. I held up the Tetsusaiga to block it, but she kept pushing me back. It stuck to the back of the sword. I then grabbed a hold of it, somewhat burning my hand and pulled her closer to me. I grabbed her by the throat and flipped her over my back. I forced the sword into her heart and tore through her until I could see her guts. I didn't like what I was seeing; poison fumes leaking from her stomach. I leapt backwards to get away from the fumes.

She laughed, "You're so pathetic! I'll just show you my true form and finish you off." Wings popped out of her back and her growing body broke through her outfit. I gulped, realizing that this was my moment to prove to myself and Inuyasha that I was capable of defending myself and others. I let the rage start burning within me because I was getting annoying with her—and myself. I didn't know what I was going, but somehow, I knew I'd find a way to get rid of her.

She started batting her wings to kick up more poisonous dust and create her own wind. I held the sword with one hand, covering my nose and mouth with the other arm. I looked at Tetsusaiga as the wind started rotating around it. I looked ahead and saw where her wind intersecting my energy. It finally came to me. I had to cut through the scar of the wind. I let my energy and flame burn. I jumped up and shouted, "Wind Scar!" A yellow surge of energy came from my sword and cut completely through her in a few different places.

I wiped the sweat off my brow and turned around. The bandits were so freaked out that they decided to leave while they had the chance. I wasn't at all happy with how I did. I let the sword transform back and handed it to Inuyasha. He kept giving me a stern look and I just reflected it back at him. I wasn't going to give into intimidation. I just turned my back and started walking off.

"Hang on for a second!"

"I know what you're going to say, save it…" I looked back and narrowed my eyes, "I don't need anything from you." I sprinted off into the woods to clear my head. I didn't sense anyone around so I started scratching my claws on the trees out of frustration. All of a sudden, the frustration became irritation and aggravation. I started screaming as I hit the trees. I started kicking them down my feet and hissed. It was unlike any hiss from before, though… it was absolutely disgusted and furious. I didn't want to face Inuyasha now; I knew I had let him down and if it had been my own tribe, with my own sword, I probably wouldn't have made it out. This wasn't a matter of just proving myself to Inuyasha; this was about pride and mine was pretty much broken by this.

I saw a bunch of crows perching behind me. I just let loose on all of them, clawing and scratching to get rid of them. "You're not taking my jewel shard, you vultures!" I fell to my knees in anger; all I knew to do was breathe excessively to let my internal flame subside. A moment too soon, I heard a twig snap. My ears twitched and I jumped to my feet. I turned around and sure enough, it was Inuyasha. I shifted my eyebrows, "Took you long enough… not that I was really keen on having you come after me."

"Ok… what's your deal?"

"What deal!" I fought back, shoving his hand off my shoulder.

"That… that's what I'm talking! What's with this attitude?"

I paused, "Attitude…" I thought for a second. I shrugged, "When'd I get an attitude?"

"I was about to ask you that."

"Look, I know I totally stunk back there. I don't need to hear it from you."

"Actually, I was going to say that it wasn't bad for the first time. Those moth demons are tricky and hella nasty. Plus it's your first time fighting a demon alone." He snuck a smile, "I really can't be blame you."

"Don't forget it's my first time with Tetsusaiga." I exhaled, "I seriously don't know how you do it."

"Well, it takes a really skilled demon to wield my sword. Trust me, it didn't come easy to me at first either. And the Wind Scar, that took me even longer to master. I'm amazed you actually were able to use it."

"Actually, I was surprised myself. I was half afraid that… I wasn't going to come up with anything…"

"Eh, it happens to the best of us. Don't be so hard on yourself if things don't go according to plan. Throughout all this, I'm always gonna have your back." He put his hands on my shoulders; I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks."

"Yeah, you didn't do that bad," Kagome finally caught up. "I thought you handled yourself really well. You didn't lose your focus for a second."

I blushed, scratching the back of my head. "I thought I did for a second." I then looked at the hand I used to grab the silk and it was slightly burned. I touched it and it didn't even hurt.

"Let me see your hand."

"It's nothing… it doesn't hurt."

"Let me see." Inuyasha grabbed it for a look. "Might as well wrap it in some healing herbs, just to be on the safe side."

"Yeah sure…" We got back and Miroku fixed my hand up. He also redid the bandage on my foot. "It should be completely healed by tomorrow."

"Thanks Miroku," I smiled, "I had no idea you were so good with this first aid stuff…"

"Well, lechery isn't my only strong point." I narrowed my eyes. "I'm kidding. Just relax." He helped me up. "I'm sorry if I've been giving you a hard time. I appreciate what you've done."

"Hey, first impressions can't be correct all the time. You and Inuyasha didn't exactly hit it off." I put a hand out to stop him, "He's a different story completely in his own universe. I almost feel like he has as many different personalities as I do and he's always one thing or the other. There's no in-between." I shrugged, "I feel like, more so today, that I'm starting to pick up on his personality. And I really don't want to."

"Nobody says you have to."

"I guess that's where I'm drawing my strength from. I'm becoming stronger to be more like him, so I figure I gotta be like him, but I don't have to." I stretched my arms over my head, "He's so complex, it exhausts me just to think about it."

We stepped outside a moment later and Kagome had already gotten our lunches ready. I scratched my head, still confused as to my change in attitude. I was hanging like it was no big deal; was it all just a crush on Inuyasha? I could have sworn I felt something much stronger about, but I figured it came with my realization. If anything, Inuyasha would be the one doing the protecting, not me. He did take care of himself when he was orphaned at such a young age; I should really give him more credit.


	26. Miroku's Idea

"So, what's next, Inuyasha?" Kagome said, excitedly.

"I think we should get moving. We'll see more action if we are traveling; I mean, we always do."

"I agree." Miroku added.

"Then it's settled," I said. We walked through the woods for what seemed like hours. For some reason, I was distracted by the lack of feelings I had. I mean, it felt great not to having it weigh on my chest, but it really was. I felt like something was missing. I thought back to my dream, 'Everything Inuyasha transformed into a demon, he loses a piece of himself.'

I whispered, "Have I lost a piece of myself?"

"What was that, princess?" Miroku asked. Everyone stopped and Inuyasha turned around. I looked at him, "You and Kagome go ahead."

"You sure?"

"Yes." I nodded, forcing a smile and he just looked back. "Well, okay, whatever. Let's go, Kagome." She hopped on his back and they took off a little ahead of us. I rubbed my shoulder; it was happening again, the emptiness was spreading.

"Are you all right, princess?" Shippo asked. I swallowed, "I don't know… something just doesn't feel right."

"Perhaps you're still a little rattled about what happened with Katanamaru."

"It's something else… I feel like, after what happened yesterday, I feel like my heart has changed. I can't say what it is, but something just feels… empty about it." I held my heart, trying to get more comfortable out of the jewel shard; nothing worked.

"I had trouble sleeping last night. I kept having these dreams…" I showed my bitterness towards them, "ridiculous dreams! It's like they're torturing me and now they're lying to me. They're making it seem like Inuyasha is the weak one, not me. I keep seeing him getting cut down and I just stand there, not feeling anything but emptiness." I tried to fight back the tears I felt were ready to pour out.

"Then I heard voices. Voices telling me that when Inuyasha transforms into a full-fledged demon, he loses a piece of himself." I felt my heart, "I have a sickening feeling that that's what's happening to me. But it's better this way…"

"What do you mean? You're not making any sense." Sango said.

"I think that I need to start breaking away from Inuyasha; I don't want to, but I have no other choice. I can't keep the feelings I once had; I can't risk him getting too attached to the connection we have." I put a hand to my forehead, trying hard to fight the tears back. "I want to break away, but I don't want to forget him completely. I want to repeat what I once said to him, but I feel nothing. I feel like I don't have to do anything, but my heart says that I should."

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders on my left. I had gotten so down that I just put my hand on his, holding it tight. I knew it was Miroku, but I wasn't bothered. I rubbed my face against it and purred.

"What are you doing, Miroku!" An angry voice called from ahead. I looked up and my glance met Inuyasha's. He gasped. He saw the look in my eyes; the look of sorrow and pain from the emptiness. "What is it?"

"Leave me be, Inuyasha. I don't need your pity!" Part of me wanted to run to him and cry my eyes out; the other part just stood there, embracing Miroku's gesture. I glanced at him with glossy, glistening pale blue eyes. I shut them to rid them of the tears. I whispered, "Thank you, Miroku. I can take things from here."

I walked towards Inuyasha, keeping my eyes on him, but I just walked past him like it was nothing. I stopped, "I'm going ahead!" Then I sprinted off, not looking back.

"What the hell were you doing, Miroku?"

"Inuyasha… you should really give the princess some space. She's got a lot to deal with right now."

"Like hell she does, the last thing she needs is a lecher!"

"Oddly enough, I agree with Miroku." Sango backed him up, "I can't explain what's going on. For one reason or other, the princess seems really lost."

"What do you mean?" He blinked, not seeming to have a clue.

"Tell me Inuyasha… what did you say to her a couple of nights ago?" Miroku asked, crossing his arms.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"It's the last time she really opened herself to you. What did you say to her?"

He positioned his eyebrows in a confident position. "I told her that the thought of her sacrificing her life for mine scares me…"

"I don't know exactly what happened, Inuyasha," Kagome came from behind him. "It sure seems like you're getting exactly what you want. Something doesn't seem right; I think the power of the jewel shard in her is… fading."

"Fading? What could that mean?"

"It's not getting any use. The princess's heart isn't in this anymore, so the jewel shard is merely there as a reminder."

"She's been completely rational in the past few fights she's gotten into; what's to say that it's a bad thing?"

"Inuyasha, I think you would know the answer to that better than anyone. You have, after all, spent the most time with her." Miroku said flat out. He then walked past, "I'd talk to her tonight if I were you… otherwise who knows what could happen."


	27. I Don't Want You to Change!

By the time everyone joined me at the edge of the woods, it was time to make camp for the night. I spent all of the time in a tree, thinking everything over. I didn't know why I even bothered thinking it over. My mind was made up, wanting to move on from Inuyasha; my heart was the one thing holding me back. I figured it was better off this way, but my heart and head were going at it. That left my stomach feeling a little queasy. When it was time for dinner, I just said that I wasn't hungry. I knew I was starving, but my stomach couldn't take it.

"Hey, are you sure you don't want any fried noodles?" I looked down at Inuyasha and for the first time all day, I smiled. It was good to see him. I laughed, "All right, c'mon up."

A second later, he was up there with me, handing over a cup of noodles and chopsticks. I gulped it down within a few minutes. "That's so good…."

"I don't understand how you can eat that stuff; it burns the hell out of my tongue."

"I guess its an acquired taste." I laughed. I looked at his yellow eyes and I felt something. "What is it?"

"What's been going on with you? I mean, what's the cold shoulder and everything?"

"I don't know." I huddled my legs close to my body. "I've been feeling so weird since yesterday." I made a fist and held it to my head. "Inuyasha… tell me, have I changed?"

"I dunno… I mean, you still have the same fight in you as always, but it just comes out in different form. You're using it to fight your battles, but something about your style is off. It's almost like it parallels my own."

"I don't know… it's like everything's coming from my head. I feel like it's doing all the work for me. My head tells me what to do and how to do it and nothing else."

"This might sound a little off or whatever… but where does your heart factor into all this?"

"My heart?" I clenched my fist and he put his clawed hand on mine. I looked into his eyes and they wanted me to welcome him. I blushed, looking away to hide my smile. I felt like my heart was coming back into this. He then put an arm around my shoulders. "You know, you don't have to change who you are just to become stronger."

I suddenly felt a shiver go down my spine. He was being too nice; this wasn't the Inuyasha I had gotten to know. I looked at him and inched away. I looked down, realizing how high up we were. I grasped the branch with both of my hands. "No… I can't do this. I'm afraid that you're the one who's changed… I've changed you into someone that you're not meant to be. You're not supposed to be so supportive; what happened to the Inuyasha that got on my nerves?" I took the arm off my shoulders, "I miss that… I miss the way that you push me."

"Oh, so you want me to be a jerk!"

"Yes! That's exactly what I want. I don't want to change who you are."

"And I don't want you to change who you are!"

"Oh so now we agree that we don't want each other to change!" I think that got everyone else's attention. "While you're at it, why don't you push me off of this tree branch and see if I land on my feet!"

"Gladly." He pushed me backwards and I did a few flips and landed on all fours. Kagome looked up and then down, "Wow, I guess its true that cats always land on their feet."

Inuyasha jumped back down. "So, what do you want me to do? Get on your nerves 24/7!"

"That would be nice." I laughed jokingly.

"In that case, hand over that jewel shard. It's no good to you!" I laughed so hard when I saw the look on his face. I fell over after laughing so hard. "Oh my… that sounded so fake. You don't mean that."

"Oh yeah," he leaped on top of me and we locked hands. We started rolling around on the ground, fighting each other in hand to hand combat. The only problem was that the look on his face from that comment was so hilarious that I kept laughing.

"What the hell is your problem!"

"I don't know… seriously, next time when you ask, make it sound like you mean it. That was… so lame…" At this point, I was on top of him, trying to press his hands back against him. "I'll give it…" It went through my head. Since I didn't use my heart in battle anymore, why bother?

"Could you ask me seriously this time?" I got up and he flipped himself back over. He then went right for my throat and stared at me with piercing yellow eyes.

Kagome rushed up, "Inuyasha!"

"Give me the damn jewel shard! Give it!" I reached into my heart with my right hand and plucked it. I forced a smile, "Here you go… just what you've always wanted." I fell to my knees as he kept holding on. It took me a minute or so to realize what he was doing. I didn't realize how out of it I was. I felt weighed down and exhausted, like I was being crushed by a boulder. Inuyasha was on top of me, strangling me with all his might. I didn't know why, but I wasn't even scared. I just took it like there was nothing else, just assuming that he would eventually let go.

A few minutes later, he tightened his grip and I was starting to feel it. "C'mon, fight back! Fight me off! Snap out of this damn trance you're in!"

"Inuyasha, that's enough, stop it." Kagome called to him.

I didn't want to fight back; I wanted to know why I wasn't scared. Where was that adrenaline rush that came with dying?

"Inuyasha, sit!" Then he fell on top of me, crushing me and knocking me out.


	28. Let's Just Wait

I woke up to a slap in the face. I suddenly felt weak and unable to move. I look up to see those yellow eyes. "What the hell is your problem!"

"I don't know…" I strained to get up, but he just pulled me up. I was dizzy on my feet; I just put a hand on and leaned against him. "I suddenly feel like there's this…" I stretched my arms out, "two foot gap between my brain and my spinal cord…"

"Well, you were deprived of oxygen for about five minutes."

"Five minutes?" I stepped back a foot, fell to my knees, putting my hands on the ground to brace myself. "I knew I wasn't feeling that good before." I coughed and got sick before falling on my side.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I groaned, holding my sore stomach.

"That was scary… I mean, you were just standing there and taking it… like it was nothing. Do you want me to kill you!"

"No…" I coughed again, but nothing spilled out. I looked up at him and he looked concerned. "Why are you being so damn nice?" I coughed again and felt my guts spilling out.

"I don't know… but I really don't know what's going on with you."

"I wish I knew…" I blinked, "Inuyasha… why can't I feel anything? I feel my stomach being sore, but that's it. I wasn't scared when you choking me… and I'm not happy that you're paying so much attention to me. I know I should be, but I feel like I'm taking away from who you are. Maybe I just… go home before I do any more damage…"

"Humph, don't be so ridiculous." I cringed in pain and it erupted out of my mouth in shrieks. I looked down, shutting my eyes. "My only guess is that everything will shift back to normal after I'm without the jewel shard. I guess it was just holding me back. I want to return to where we were before my transformation; I feel like… I lost a piece of myself that day. The way I feel about you now… isn't the same as it was then. I miss that and I know that that's where I really want to be."

I inched myself off the ground, but I ended up leaning against Inuyasha's chest again. He stroked my head. "I think you've had enough training to last for a few weeks." He got me on his back, "C'mon, I'll take you somewhere where you can rest and get back to normal."

After traveling for a couple of minutes, we were able to make it to a cave. "A cave?" He let me off his back to walk for a bit, but I fell to my knees immediately. "Hey, don't strain yourself! You'll only get worse…" He sighed, "Fine, I'll make you more comfortable."

"Let me just lay my head on your lap…" I groaned, but looked at him. "You really are worried about me, aren't you?"

"Well, duh! Maybe all you need is to wait until you lose your demon powers… it'll be a while until the full moon, though. I'll let you rest until then; maybe we can work on getting you back to normal."

"I feel like you've become more human than demon in nature. It just doesn't feel right…"

"Humph, don't worry, I'll get back to normal in no time. It'll probably take a few days before all of the calmness is out of my system… but that's what I get for having too much of a good thing." He complained.

"That's more like it…" He gave me a straight expression that pretty much said, 'sure, whatever.' My heart leaped and then it settled back down as I slowly fell asleep.


	29. I Wish I Could Feel Again

Two weeks later…

My feelings for Inuyasha came back little by little as the days went by. Every day, he'd go out for whatever and Kagome, Miroku or Sango would look after me. They started telling me stories about Inuyasha and the fights he's gotten himself into. It took a while, but I finally was able to laugh again.

Inuyasha would come back at nights and watch over me as I slept. I requested that he not be too close, but close enough that I could see his eyes if I ever opened them. That feeling of protection that he gave me was renewed. I had grown to appreciate all that he's done for me. His demon-like nature finally returned and he was just as crabby as he ever was. My heart was coming back together, but I didn't feel the exact same way. I didn't feel that fire burning in me, but I had to say that I'd fight by his side no matter what.

When the day of the full moon finally came, I left the cave long before Inuyasha woke up. I spent my time getting my claws nice and sharp. I had to get rid of my frustrations and quick. I started sprinting through the woods, shooing everything that moved. I then picked up a familiar scent and started laughing. "I know where I want to go."

I followed the scent to the mountains and flipped out to get a good look. All of the wolves looked at me like they were amazed. "Where's your leader?"

"Someone call my name?" Koga came out of the cave. I just faced him with my eyes narrowed. "Well, what has that miserable half-breed done to you now?"

"Shut the hell up!" I charged for him and he jumped before I got to him. "Hey, what's your deal?"

"I need a good fight and I need it now. At this point, I don't care it is. I'm gonna get mad and I'm gonna enjoy it!" I cracked my knuckles and went for him.

"You honestly want me to fight you? You've got to be kidding me." He laughed.

"Just do it, damn it! Come and get me, Koga! Show me what you're made of!" He ran to me and got me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I put a hand on my knee for support as I coughed.

"You all right?" He reached for me and my fist ended up in smashing into his face. I then started giving his face a good clawing as I started to build up the rage within me. "Keep at it, Koga, trash Inuyasha all you want. Get me motivated… don't worry, I'll stop myself from killing you."

"I doubt you could; you're a half-breed being trained by a half-breed. Two half-breeds don't made a pure demon."

"Shut your mouth!" I brought my right hand back and slashed Koga's pelt. I looked at the blood on my hand. "That was like Inuyasha's 'Iron Reverse Soul Stealer' attack… Where'd that come from?"

"So, has the mutt taught you more than using claws to fight?"

"He taught me swordplay, but I'm not very good. His sword is so strange; it just didn't feel right when I wielded it. I was filled with self-doubt; I can only rely on my physical abilities."

"Did the mutt put you up to this?"

"Like I need his permission for anything! He doesn't control me and neither will you! I will live my own life!"

"Have you really become so selfish?"

"Selfish?" I felt my eyes start to glow and I hissed, "That does it! You don't know me, so don't pretend to."

"I know that you've changed considerably. You've turned sour towards everything around you. I gave you a great offer and you're going to throw that away. Do you even care about your tribe? What happens if someone attacks them? Will you be able to defend them?"

I started the flame going and it was burning furiously like never before. "You don't know me, Koga, so shut the hell up!" I got on all fours and charged for him. He kicked me back with his left leg. I slide across the ground. It hit me like lightning. I felt my ribs on the left side and they were broken. I stumbled to my feet and held my left side; I looked at it from under my pelt and was all bruised, black and blue.

The pain started settling in. "My god… I can feel pain… for the first time in a long time, I can feel pain."

"You want I should stop?" Koga walked over. I hissed, "Don't be so smug, wolf! I'm far from out; I need you to knock me back to my senses. You're the only one who can; I trust your judgment and that you'll never change no matter what I do to you."

"What? Has dog-face gotten soft?"

"Don't you dare!" I flexed out my claws and I felt the fire burn. "Flaming Claw Slash!" I slashed Koga's chest again and more blood came out on my hand. I started laughing, enjoying myself. I ran up to him; he jumped up, spun around and kicked my chest. I fell backwards and slid a few yards away. The fire kept burning in my heart, not that I could really call it that. A heart that couldn't love wasn't a heart at all.

I felt my fur stand up all over. I was on all fours, hissing with all of the rage I had burning in me. I sniffed my claws and felt a need to hunt for Koga's blood. For some odd reason, I wanted to get rid of him at any cost. I don't know why I was so mad at him, but I think it was more about proving to myself that I could kick major butt.

He laughed and I hissed, "Stop being so smug ! I'll wipe that smile right off your face with my claws." I shrieked, clawing his face again. "All right, if that's the way you want it…" He took a giant leap back and ran for me, giving me a swift uppercut, banging my fangs into my upper lip. I landed on my back again, but this time I had a hard time getting up. I wiped my bleeding mouth and started breathing heavy. I struggled to my feet and started walking to Koga.

"Haven't you had enough?"

There was fire in my eyes, "Don't… ask if I've had… enough…" I was ready to break his face with my right hand when someone grabbed it.

I looked behind me and saw Inuyasha with a stern face. "Is wolf boy giving you any trouble?"

"I came here on my free will, Inuyasha, what do you care?"

"You're getting yourself killed! If you need to get out some frustration, you can use me. I know that's where you really want to aim it!"

I faced him and hissed. "That does it!" I charged at him and we both fell off the mountain, rolling down all of the rocks. When we finally landed, we broke apart. I landed hand on my back, unable to move. I breathed heavily, but it was difficult. I put a hand to my sore ribs that hurt as I breathed.

"You're pathetic!" Inuyasha marched up to me, not a scratch on him. "Why you," I tried to get up, but my ribs were holding me back. I inched up, groaning, "Damn…"

"Will you stop moving before you get yourself killed? Is that what you want! Do you want to let everyone in your tribe down!" He grabbed me by the collar and lifted me off the ground. "Snap out of it!"

I shrieked and tried scratching him, but nothing happened. I looked at my claws and they were receding. "What's going on?" I looked up and sun was setting. "Have I really been up there that long?" I stuttered a bit as he brought me back down.

I looked at the look on his face, those piercing eyes. I felt like they cut through me like a knife. I realized what I was doing was wrong. I was trying to destroy myself in an attempt to piece my heart back together. His eyebrows lifted as he looked confused. I started shaking and I felt everything slowly come together. As I became human, I walked to Inuyasha and started crying. I put my arms around his chest, "Inuyasha…" He stroked my back a little.

"I needed this… I'm back to normal. My heart is back and I'm able to feel again."

"So that's what you were doing! You were picking a fight with that wimpy wolf just so you could start 'feeling'!"

"Everyone needs a good fight every now and then." I backed off, "Don't you agree?"

"Well yeah…" He blinked twice. "C'mon, I'll take you back."

"No, I think I can make it back myself… but only if you take the lead." He took off like a shot and I ran after him. I could only keep at it for 5 minutes due to two things—my injuries and the fact I was human. Inuyasha came back for me and laughed, "I guess you forgot you were human, huh?"

"You don't have to push it…" He kneeled down and I got on his back. "All right, let's go back."

"Hang on tight!" I held tight around his waist, even though I felt like I was ready to faint. I felt so dizzy as we sprinted through the woods back to the cave. When I got off his back, I felt unsteady on my feet. I looked up at him as I fell to my knees. "You okay?"

I held my side, "Just a bruise… nothing to be concerned about…" I hissed in pain.

"Don't move!" He slightly lifted my pelt to see where I was holding my side. "Move your arm." He pressed his hand lightly to my ribs. "You're human now, so you shouldn't move. This could get worse." He sighed, "The best thing for you to do is stay up and shut up."

"You can't make me shut up." I groaned and he set me down on the cave floor. I cringed, my eyes shut when I felt claws stroke my hair. I grabbed his hand, "What are you…" I saw concern written all over his face. "Don't touch me…"

"Why not? Aren't I allowed to be a bit concerned!" I saw his face; he was right. "Concern isn't a sign of weakness, you know."

"No, you're right…" I shrugged, "It's been so long since I've seen the rough side of you, I guess I don't remember exactly what you were like."

"Well, we'll be here all night." I looked out and saw a major downpour with thunder and lightning. I narrowed my eyes, "Nothing like a good thunderstorm to scare me back into shape." It was getting really violent and the thunder got louder each time. Each flash felt it was zapping my heart back to normal. As it settled down a bit, I finally curled up into a ball. I cried, "I should never have left home… ever since I left, things have gotten so complicated."

"What on earth are you babbling about? You wouldn't have gotten this strong if you hadn't bumped into me!"

"I'm holding you back… I've made you… soft."

"Shut up! Quit whining!" I groaned, "I had to see you once more, but now that I've been by your side for… a month or two, I feel like I've only wasted your time." I shut my eyes, "My heart's broken and pieced itself together so many times… I barely recognize myself."

"I can still see a little bit of the princess we met two months ago." Kagome came in, kneeling next to me. "How are you?"

"I could be better…" Inuyasha put a hand to my ribs and I hissed in pain. "If you're going to heal, you need to relax yourself." He put a hand behind my neck to settle me down a bit.

"Why are you being so nice to me? After everything you've seen me do, don't you think you have an insult you can throw at me?"

"Oh, I have a few! You're whiny, you're weak, you're pathetic and most of all, you keep changing your stripes! You're the lamest half-demon I've ever seen!"

"You don't mean all that…"

"Well, I do think that you should shut up and let me talk. You're underestimate yourself constantly and I find that very annoying! And you're getting yourself into all kinds of trouble!"

"So do you!" He stopped. "You think that I can't take care of myself!"

"When you fight, you get really irrational. You're picking on fights bigger than yourself. That is no way to get stronger. You keep picking those fights and you'll get discouraged. You need to work your way up."

I looked down. "I don't want to pry… but you're really concerned about me, Inuyasha." I looked at Kagome, pointing, "I'm sure he doesn't want to admit it, but the only reason he's holding himself back is because he doesn't want me to get hurt. Boy… things have changed…"

"That's ridiculous." He brushed it off. Something didn't seem right about him. Sure, the attitude was there, but not the same volume of attitude. I sat up. "I told you to lay down, don't hurt yourself any worse." Inuyasha pushed me back.

"I need to see something, Inuyasha… let me…" I lifted myself off the ground just enough that my ear landed on Inuyasha's heart. That's when everything clicked, everything pieced together and I felt like myself again. I slowly shut my eyes and whispered, "Don't embrace me, just let me listen." I put my other hand to his chest and felt the warmness return. I felt myself going back through memory lane. I was back in the Forest of Inuyasha, standing on a tree root to listen to his heart. I heard my own wish, "My wish is for you to live, Inuyasha, so I can properly thank you for all you've done for me."

I looked up and saw myself back there. Inuyasha hang on the tree, lifeless, with his hair blowing in the wind. I made a new wish, "I wish that everything was back to normal and our hearts will be as they were before. I want nothing else more than to feel normal again and for Inuyasha to be as he was before I met him face to face." I shouted, "I wish everything was back to normal!"

I was back where we were, but this time, I felt a warmness in my heart. It was healing everything ailing me. My ribs were no longer broken. Then it shone between Inuyasha's heart and mine. Our souls reconnected, but I felt like everything was getting back to where it belonged. The energy was so unique that I was the only one who could see it, but I'm sure that Inuyasha could feel it too. Slowly, he fell over on his back with me on top of his chest. I lifted my head to get in a comfortable position. I whispered, "Good night, Inuyasha…" and I started purring as I drifted off to sleep.

"Great… now she's on top of me again…" Inuyasha groaned, "I always gotta be the nice guy."

"Sounds like you're back to normal." Kagome laughed. "Being human isn't quite so bad, is it?"

"Humph, yeah right. Being human makes us weak."

"Apparently, she would have made a better human than demon, though. Maybe she's right and should return to her tribe. We've kept her from them for an awfully long time."

"Her best friend was disguised as Naraku, who says its safe to go back?"

"We don't know that until we get there. Maybe we can have Miroku and Sango scout it out first."

"Good idea…" He nodded, "That settles it. We'll go back tomorrow. Now that the princess might be getting back to normal, it might be better before she gets too attached." He folded his arms, "It's hard to believe, but for a while, I think I might have gotten attached. It was helping to fill that void where Kikyo was, but once I got past there…" He blushed, "I think I was actually… blinded, for a while…" He shifted his eyes to look at Kagome, "it's really weird saying this, but in the end, I really did want to protect her."

"Aww, that's so sweet."

"Don't go spreading that around! That's the last thing I need!"

"Inuyasha…" she pointed down. He looked down, "Oh right, I forgot." He sighed, "All right, might as well get some sleep. Tomorrow's not going to be easy for good-bye."

"You're going to just stop like that?"

"It's for the best, Kagome… I don't want to cause too much trouble for her and I don't want her to get hurt or change who she is. Cuz believe it or not, I like her the way she is. Even if she isn't strong, at least she knows she wants to help others. That's good enough for me." He stroked my bangs. "Sleep well, princess."


	30. Goodbye: Not Forever?

When I got up the next day, I felt so much better. I was half-demon again and my heart felt like everything was back to normal. I sat up and saw Inuyasha standing on the outside of the cave. He was holding the Tetsusaiga and the sun shone off of him as he smiled. I flashed back to last night and the first time I listened to his heart. I got up and walked up to him.

"Inuyasha…" He looked to the side, "C'mon, let's go."

"Go where?" I followed close to him. "I'm taking you back home."

"But, the training? I haven't mastered the Wind Scar or anything."

"You know what, you don't need the Tetsusaiga." He drew it back into its sheath. "Not everyone can master it like I have and even so, it took a long time. It could take you longer and it's better not to detain you too long from doing what you should be doing."

"Oh, and what should that be?" I challenged him.

"Protecting your tribe. You're their princess, but as far as I'm concerned, you're a warrior."

"You don't mean that," I looked away, blushing.

"Look, I wouldn't have let you go if I didn't think you were ready." I whispered, "My wish came true."

"C'mon, we're burning daylight." Kagome and I hopped on while Sango, Miroku and Shippo followed on Keilala. When we arrived back, it was pandemonium. Everyone was so happy to see me return and it felt great to be back among 'family'. Although we're not related through blood, they sheltered me when I needed it. All of the cubs came out and they buried me. I laughed so hard that nothing else seemed to matter. I knew that my purpose was to protect all of these cubs in hopes that they will be able to be the tribe's future.

I spent most of my time with the two cubs I saved from the fire. They had grown quite a bit since then. I sat on my rock with one on each side of me. "So, what have you been doing?"

"Learning how to fight. I've seen a lot of action… but I felt like I was getting disconnected." I laughed, "I guess I spent so much time away from home that I was starting to forget things."

"Did you forget about us?"

"I did… for a little bit, but Inuyasha snapped me out of it."

"Do you like him?" They leaned closer.

"Very much… but we agreed that it was better that we not see each other anymore after today. We were starting to change into completely different people and didn't like what we were turning into. Being away from home changes people, I guess." I laughed. I looked to my far left and saw Inuyasha exercising with the sword, working on different slashes and such. "There's so much to admire about him… I'm going to miss that."

He withdrew his sword as Kagome came to see him. She put a hand to his shoulder and he smiled before they disappeared into the woods. I was curious how he was dealing with this. I mean, I know he cares about me, but would he actually miss me if we stopped seeing each other?

At the end of the day, we had a bonfire and pretty much shared stories. We took turns talking about all of the demons that we fought. The only thing we didn't go into was the personal details of the things that went between me and Inuyasha. Naturally, those were too private to discuss. I stepped away from the bonfire a few hours later to think things over. This was going to be my last night with Inuyasha, the last time I'd ever see him.

I sat on my rock and a few minutes later, he came to join me. "Mind if I sit?"

"Sure." I shifted over a bit and looked up. "Look at that moon… it's so… beautiful. And all of the stars…"

"I wanted to tell you that I don't plan on leaving until sunrise tomorrow. Maybe before that, but I'll spend the night with you if it makes you feel any better."

I shoved him, "You're too nice, Inuyasha. I mean, what's your deal?"

"You did this to me, but I'm kinda grateful. It helped me heal from losing Kikyo and I feel closer to Kagome. I don't think I could have gotten where I am without you. It's helped sort of my feelings nonetheless." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I feel so back to normal… I'm afraid that… I might forget if…" He took a hold of my hand, "You won't forget me; it's impossible to forget me!"

He put an arm around me and I felt better. "Part of me wishes that we can stay like this forever, but it's just not gonna happen."

"Yeah, I guess with the time we spent together, we developed the true definition of having 'too much of a good thing.'" He laughed and I laughed too. I grabbed his hand and held it in mine. I sighed, "I'm gonna miss this so much. I wish I hadn't lost track everything recently… I could have enjoyed being with you a whole lot more."

"Things got weird, but I think I enjoyed it enough for the both of us." I knew he was smiling; I could feel it.

"Inuyasha…"

"Yeah?"

"This sounds a little out of place, but… do you think I'll ever find love?"

"Love? I'd better not hear you say you're not worthy of finding it!"

"No, it's not like that." I blushed. "Just saying… will I ever find it?"

"I don't know why you wouldn't. I mean, you're good lookin' and stuff. Plus you're a princess… that makes demons like you more desirable."

"Half-demon…" I corrected him. "I never thought I'd actually… it sounds like such a good thing. It's a little bit of everything. The strength along with the emotions. The fog has lifted, so everything is clear…"

"It's getting kinda late. Are you getting tired yet?" I yawned, "Yeah, but I don't want to sleep just yet. I know that the sooner I fall asleep, the sooner you'll leave."

"Well, don't get all sentimental on me…" He rolled his eyes. I thought to myself, 'Typical Inuyasha… I figured as much.'

"Maybe you should lay down, then we can look up at the stars."

"Sure," I leaned back and Inuyasha was beside me. The stars were shining in a way like never before. The one directly above my head was the brightest. It seemed to symbolize the wish I made for Inuyasha to live. That wish had come true. There was one right next to it, shining almost as bright; it was for things to be normal. That wish had come true. I saw a blank space next to that star, almost like there was supposed to be a star there. Or a star was going to be there. It was really interesting; could those stars symbolize my wishes? Will I make one last wish and what will it be?

"Chihiro…"

"Yes, Inuyasha?" I turned my head to the right and he was looking at the stars too. "Will you promise me something?"

"What is it? Anything?"

"Promise me that… you'll always think with your heart and that you won't change you who are. I mean, if we meet a few years from now, I'd like to be able to recognize you, at least."

I turned to my right, placing my left hand to his heart. "I promise." He put his hand on mine as I felt his heart pound under it. I laughed, "Just so long as you don't let your heart change too much. That's the only way I'm going to recognize you, whether you're half-demon or human. I wouldn't want to see what you'd be like a full-demon though… because I don't know what that could do to you. If you lose a piece of yourself with each transformation, repeated transformations could make you lose your heart. I'd hate for that to happen."

"Yeah, I've been doubting that I'd want to become a full fledged demon if it'll cause me to lose or even kill my friends. That's what terrifies me about it."

"I never knew you were scared of anything." I yawned, "Oh well, I guess this is it."

"Yeah…" His eyes shifted to meet mine and he smiled. I smiled back. "These past two months have been the best months of my life. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me."

"It wasn't a big deal…" He shut his eyes. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" He opened them again. I looked down and smiled. "Good-bye, Inuyasha… I'll miss you and I'll never forget, for however long I live." He smiled. I focused on those yellow eyes as I closed mine, knowing that would be the last thing I'd remember about him.

As we slept through the night, I paid all attention to the lulling of his heart under my hand. At one point, I felt as if the pattern in it was disrupted in the slightest. I wondered if Inuyasha had some sort of feelings for me that he kept locked inside. I know that I had forbade myself from showing my true feelings to Inuyasha, but I felt like this was my chance. I blew it… but I suppose that was all right. It was better if he never knew. Still, I wondered on if the change in his heartbeat pattern meant something. Would he miss me and how much? I knew that I felt so warm and protected and I wanted to be that way forever.

Something in my dream convinced me that we would meet again in the near future. I came upon Inuyasha in a plain grassy field. He was standing alone, as if he was waiting for me. "I see you've gotten stronger. I'm glad you haven't ignored what I've taught you." He looked down, "I don't want to admit it, but someday, you just might be return the favor I've done you." The look in his eyes made me see that it was true. He'd need my help sometime in the near future. I asked, "How will I know?"

"You'll be able to smell my blood… but it's not quite as recognizable as it is now. You'll get your chance to be the big shot…" He then rushed off as it was nothing. I smiled, "Thank you, Inuyasha."


	31. We're Apart: Things are Gonna be Okay

The warmness and feeling of protection stayed with me all night. The sun woke up me. I sat up and stretched my arms. "It's morning, Inuyasha… in fact, it's noon." I turned to my right, but there was nobody there.

I called, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" I looked out over the valley to the village below. All of the humans saw me standing on this rock. I stepped back when I remembered. He was gone. I fell to my knees. "Inuyasha's gone…" I put a hand to my heart, "and he took my heart with him. I gave my heart away to you, Inuyasha, and you'll never know that. You couldn't ever understand that."

I walked back to the tribe. They looked at me and I looked back. I nodded, "It's great to be home, but I need some time to myself, without anybody else. At least for today." They all bowed and I proceeded to my cave. I made myself comfortable and shut my eyes. I saw Inuyasha shining in the sun whenever I closed them. I'd open them, but I only saw a little light from outside. I felt a sense of loss that disheartened me. I breathed heavily, knowing that it'd lead to tears. I cried my eyes out all day long, so loud that the village and the adjacent forests could hear me.

When the day started fading away, I stepped out, seeing all of the cubs of the tribe waiting for me. "Are you all right, princess? Why do you cry?" One of them asked me.

"I could explain it to you when you're older… but a half-demon stole my heart. It just hurts… and it will for some time. But if I'm going to be your leader, I'll have to be a fast healer. I'll make sure to protect all of you from any demons or humans that could attack us. I've learned a lot from Inuyasha. Even though he didn't teach me everything, I've learned enough to take care of things here."

They started to come closer to me and I just knelt down on the ground. "Come here, you guys." I laughed and all of the cubs jumped all over me in a group hug. "I love you guys and I got stronger for you. I want you all to grow up to be nice and strong like me and Inuyasha. That way, the tiger demons will be able to make a comeback as a species of demon."

I looked up at the sunset, knowing that everything was going to be fine. My heart may belong to Inuyasha, but as long as my physical heart is still beating, I'll be fine. Perhaps someday, I'll be able to return the favor and do for Inuyasha what he has done for me. I prayed for his safety and that we'd meet again soon as my dream had told me we would.


	32. All This Time: Nothing has Changed

Two months later…

Things have been pretty interesting for the past month or so. For some reason, more demons have been coming to our caves, apparently just finding out that we were here. Of course, since we're an isolated race, they were merely here for territory. We saw vultures, spiders, snakes, and a couple of moth demons. I fashioned myself a sword that aided me in battle. It wasn't as powerful as Tetsusaiga, but I couldn't be choosy. Every time I'd defeat a race of demons, I'd add an notch to it and make it better than it was before. I've seen some pretty nasty stuff, especially when it came to the spiders and moths with their silk. More often than not, the cubs were always the ones targeted. The silk was pretty poisonous, so I had no choice but to use my sword to protect me. The battles were tough, but in the end, I always came through and nobody was ever injured.

I've also taken it upon myself to start teaching self-defense to the cubs, a few little tricks and attacks that could come in handy against carrion crows or anything on the small side. My heart was in this 100 and I always thought with it, just as I had promised. I had gotten braver and stronger and things couldn't have been better. I watched the moon phases and the stars every night as I lay on that rock. I kept an especially close watch on those two stars that shone the brightest. On the right of the 2nd one, there was still a blank space. I wondered what could cause a star to appear there, and if I had one last thing that I had to do.

As the moon started disappearing again, I decided that it was a good time for preparation. It was time for us to relocate and join up with Koga's tribe. I called on him and he came without fail. It had been a while since I saw him last, and I wasn't exactly myself at that point. "So princess, what have you got in store for me this time?"

I approached him and put my hands on his shoulders. "First of all, I want to apologize for my behavior the last time we met. I wasn't thinking clearly and I was pretty teetering on the brink of insanity."

"What exactly happened to cause you to do that?" He smiled, wanting an answer.

"A few nights previous to that day, Naraku attacked me. He corrupted the jewel shards I had collected and he turned me loose. He invoked my rage and when he disappeared, that rage reminded. I wanted to kill someone and I didn't care who. I saw the visions of everyone around me getting killed by humans, so I wanted to kill any number of humans that got in my way. Then I caught Kagome's scent and I ran in that direction. First I added the monk, Miroku, then Kagome tried to figure out what was wrong."

"Don't tell me…"

"For some odd reason, I couldn't attack her. I didn't want to attack her. But that night, Inuyasha was mortal… so I attacked him. I was ready to kill him and his human heart was the only thing that stopped me. I was so shaken by what I did that, when I transformed into a full-demon, I lost a piece of myself for a few days."

"Ok… you lost me."

"I couldn't feel a thing. I knew no fear, no pain, and no love… I trained with Inuyasha and matched him move for move. He then asked for my jewel shard, but I couldn't take him seriously. He then grabbed my throat and I handed it off, although I intended to do so at that point. Him strangling me was part of another test… but I didn't want to fight back. I felt nothing, no fear, no angry or anything. He just kept going and if Kagome hadn't stopped him, he could have killed me. I realized that when I lost that piece of myself, I lost everything I felt for Inuyasha. I didn't want to feel for him so much that it could get between him and Kagome, but I also didn't want to feel nothing at all. I wanted things to be back to normal and with some rest, I finally got it that way."

"What's that got to do with me?"

"I attacked you in an attempt to get myself to feel again; I wanted to be angry and I wanted to hurt. I knew you were capable of doing that and you did me such a huge favor that day." I laughed, "I knew that I couldn't kill you because you're a strong demon. I'm only half… somewhere along the line, I forgot that and who I was. Spending all that time with Inuyasha was changing me and the truth is that I can't be with him all the time. It's been two months since I've seen him." I started to walk away, "This is the first time I've really thought or talked about him in a while."

"Well, I accept your apology. Shall we start moving out?"

"Sure…" I nodded. The next couple of nights, we escorted my tribe to Koga's den. Everyone seemed to be getting along fine with each other, even though we were cats and dogs. Something about this made it feel so right. I was beginning to like being with Koga, but I wasn't quite ready to open my heart to him. I just knew that I could be myself around him.

The 2nd to last night, there was the tiniest crescent moon in the sky. We headed back to Koga's den and he was greeted by a female wolf demon. She was pretty with shiny, bouncy brown hair. "Princess, I'd like you to meet Ayame."

I held out my hand, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too. Koga tells me you're quite the… half-demon." I shrugged, "I don't mind. Being half-demon is nothing to be ashamed of." She shook it and smiled. I spent the night over there, talking with her all about my different adventures and she was amazed at all that I tried to accomplish. I just knew, though, that she and Koga were kind of together, but that was all right. It wasn't like I would have went for a full demon. My heart knew that it still belonged, even after all this time, it still belonged to Inuyasha.


	33. Twins & Sesshomaru: A Deadly Combo?

The next day was my last day at the home I had known for most of my life. I enjoyed every last minute of it, scratching the trees I used for scratching posts and laying on the rock where I was able to see the stars the clearest. I let myself bask in the sun from noon on and I just let all of the memories flood through me. I napped and for the first time in months, I dreamt of Inuyasha. He looked at me with a smile, but I wondered why. It was like he was trying to tell me something. He seemed worried, but before I could ask, I was woken up.

Suddenly, there was thunder and lightning and violent at that. I looked up and the dark clouds were gathering. I narrowed my eyes for a closer look and I saw two demons conducting the lightning. I climbed up the tallest tree for a better look, but they saw me and sent a lightning bolt right at me. I landed on my feet, but I was a little shaken. They were coming for me—a twin brother and sister.

"What the hell do you want!" I demanded.

"We were your mother's greatest enemy. She sealed our powers over 50 years ago and now we're out for revenge. We're after the tiger and the wolf tribes."

"Why are you after Koga and his fellow wolves?"

"Because, many years ago, your mother was involved with a half-demon wolf. Naturally, between those two tribes, the wolves and tigers had an alliance. We refuse to let that happen again because tigers and wolves are very formidable together."

"What was that about my father?"

"He was a half-demon, but he was on the weaker side. He relied on your mother for help because he was a relatively weak leader. Katshyron was his name."

"He was weak?" I thought to myself, 'could that have been the reason he left?' That would explain why I was as unstable as I was a half-demon, or more so than that. It was to me that he was ashamed of getting involved with my mother and he knew that I could possibly hold it against him that I wasn't as strong as my mother was. He thought with his heart too.

In all the time that I thought this over, the lightning twins launched an attack at me. I fell backwards, almost paralyzed by the blow. I looked up and noticed that the brother had gone missing. "Where's your brother!" I shouted.

"I think he found something more interesting to go after, a group of humans and demons." I looked behind me, seeing the stars that I looked at. There was no moon in the sky anywhere. She laughed, "He just loves to mess around with humans, especially the females. He can't keep his hands off of them."

Everything in my gut told me that my friends were close by and in serious trouble. I headed to my rock and saw them running in this direction. My throat tightened as I saw him heading in Kagome's direction with his staff. I gulped, "Oh no…"

"Oh, so you know these humans. I figured as much." I turned around and the sister had come down to ground level. She drew out her staff, "Let me see your skill, tiger princess. I doubt it'll compare to your mother's, but we'll see." I grew my sword and the fight began.

I admit that she was very formidable, but I had learned a lot from Inuyasha. I was putting everything I learned from him into this fight and I let my heart decide every move I made. I knew though that I was going to make it out alive; the confidence built up and it fueled my every attack. Then her staff activated and I had to back-flip away from her to avoid the attacks. I leaped in the air, spun around and landed on my feet.

She ran for me, staff pointing out and I stepped aside at the last minute. I put my sword out and slice her across the stomach. While she stopped to check out her wound, I shoved my sword through her stomach multiple times. She fell to her knees, but her staff was still glowing. I clashed my sword with it and threw it down the cliff. "You know what," she said as she laid there dying, "you're very strong. Not like your mother, but completely different. I admire you for that." I used my sword to cut her throat and that was the end of the sister.

Something then hit me; where did her staff end up? My throat tightened and I hoped with everything I had that it didn't end up where I think it did. I ran down the hill and I suddenly smelled a lot of blood. Slightly familiar, but slightly different blood. My heart was starting to panic. I saw the brother standing there, his arms crossed. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me."

My heart told me everything; I couldn't bear to even look. I kept my eye on him. He had joined his staff and his sister's together so his larger staff had a lightning rod on both ends. I let my rage build up. "If you hurt anyone that I care about, I'm going to kill you myself! Just like I did your sister!"

"Hope you have a death wish!" He attacked and I blocked it with my sword. The energy was forcing me back. I got in, "yeah, I just might have a death wish, but I don't plan on dying today!" I tried holding him off, but he was a great deal stronger than his sister. He pushed me back little by little until my back was against the mountain wall. "Nowhere for you to run."

I kicked him, but I let go on my sword while doing so. He tossed it aside and I ran for it. Then he zapped me with the lightning rod and I fell over. I felt the electricity course through me and I felt unable to move. I stared at the brother as he approached me, his lightning rod ready to 'taste' my blood. I then felt something bump against my left elbow. I looked down and it was the Tetsusaiga in its sheath.

"Tetsusaiga…" I tied the sheath around my waist, knowing that I'd be able to handle it now. I flipped back on my feet and drew the sword, transformed. I intersected his staff, but I forced him back. I felt connected to the Tetsusaiga for the first time ever and I knew that I could wield it just as effectively as Inuyasha ever could. A voice rang in my head, "Take it, the Tetsusaiga won't transform for me tonight."

"Inuyasha?" I then heard a groan of pain that was awfully familiar. I didn't get it a second thought. I let my rage and fears all combine together. I saw and smelled the Wind Scar. I knew it was my chance. I took a giant leap back and I jumped up, "Wind Scar!" With that, he was completely gone, staff and all.

"You did the Wind Scar? You learned how to handle Tetsusaiga!" A cheerful voice behind me called. I turned around and saw black-haired Inuyasha walking towards me. I flashed my eyelashes, "Hey Inuyasha." I undid the sheath's tie and handed it back. I then caught an overwhelming whiff of blood. I stepped back to see Inuyasha's coat drenching in it from his shoulder down his chest. I shrieked, clapping a hand to my mouth. "Oh my… what happened?"

"The demon grabbed a hold of the other half of the staff and stabbed me in the shoulder. It's no big deal…"

"No big deal! You're human, Inuyasha! Why'd you even come here!"

"I saw those demons coming your way and I figured that you could use a hand."

"I could very well have taken care of myself!"

"I doubt it! You saw the power of those two staffs together; if you dealt with them both at once, who knows what could have happened?"

"You know, I've been doing very well on my own! I've dealt with countless moths, snakes and spiders! Not once I have ever gotten into something I couldn't get myself out of." I narrowed my eyes, suddenly getting angry, "How in the world am I going to prove to you that I can take care of myself!"

"How about I put an end to this bitter reunion?" I swallowed, looking behind me. My rage was building. "What the hell are you doing here, Sesshomaru!"

"I've come to finish what I started." He threw out his whip and licked Inuyasha several times. He came charging in. I quickly drew Tetsusaiga and blocked the blow from his poison claws. "How fitting, yet another half-breed can wield the Tetsusaiga. That sword belongs in my hand. I'm the only one who can use it to its full potential."

"We'll see about that. Wind Scar!" I slashed across, but Sesshomaru dodged it. "Remarkably like my brother… he hasn't trained you very well."

"Shut the hell up, you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted, when he suddenly felt a pain in his shoulder.

"It seems that my brother is just as pathetic as the company he keeps. I'll finish this off." He came for Inuyasha, but I stood in front, protecting him with his sword. "You'll get to Inuyasha over my dead body, Sesshomaru!" I forced him back and he drew his own sword. "I'll give you a real fight, so prepare yourself, half-breed."

He came for me with a sword with a glowing red aura. I fought him off with everything I had, but he was extremely hard-core. His sword was another matter. It was really tough despite that difference in size between it and the Tetsusaiga. Then he disappeared and I heard something rush at me from behind. I turned around and blocked his attack. He was ready to slice Inuyasha to pieces. "Burn in hell, Sesshomaru!" I forced him back and he tried used his whip to pull me to him. I grabbed it and it burned my hand. I pulled him to me and I slashed at him with the sword. He dodged it.

He eyed Inuyasha and I stood in front of him. My eyes teared with worry and rage. "You'll never kill Inuyasha, Sesshomaru. He deserves to live because unlike me, he has the potential to become one of the most powerful demons there is. However, unlike you, he values all lives, including human lives. While humans took my life away, Inuyasha gave it back, although unintentionally. He keeps great company, mind you! He has given me everything. You, his own brother, give him nothing but grief and trouble! You deserve to burn in hell, you bastard!"

He blinked, "Are you done? I am." I only blinked for a moment as he quickly advanced towards me, but that was all it took. I felt a jabbing pain in my stomach. I gasped, seeing my own blood start to pour from it. I hissed and brought out the Tetsusaiga to do the Wind Scar, but he disappeared and left.

I spat out with a furious rage, "**_You cowardly bastard!_**" However, I stopped when I saw that I had spat out blood. I shrieked, "Damn!" I wiped my lip when the smell of blood was getting stronger.


	34. Did You Risk Your Life To Save Mine?

I turned around, "Inuyasha…" I knelt down as he lay on the ground, putting a hand to his shoulder wound. "Are you all right?"

"I think so…" He tried getting up, but the pain stopped him. I put a hand on his. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't knocked the sister's staff in this direction, you never would have gotten hurt so badly."

"Don't blame yourself… it was bound to happen." He groaned in pain. "C'mon, I need to get you to my cave. We need to find shelter." It started raining. Ignoring the pain in my stomach, I helped Inuyasha to his feet. Miroku gave me a hand as we helped him up the hill to my cave. I was ready to fall apart, but I kept my heart strong. I was going to need every bit of my strength for this.

We got inside as the rain started to come down heavier. Kagome ran in, "Inuyasha, are you okay?"

"Kagome…" He put a hand to his shoulder, "Yeah…" He hissed. She reached for his face. "Don't move, you're in pain."

"Yeah… I know…" I looked at them, trying to fight to hold the tears back. Sango pointed, "Princess, you're injured…" I looked down, "I don't care… it doesn't matter. It didn't stop me from doing what needs to be done."

I walked over and knelt down next to Inuyasha. He was trying to put on a brave face, but I knew it wasn't looking good. Kagome gasped, "Princess… you're…"

"Yeah, I know… don't worry about it. I'm not." I wiped my eyes. "Inuyasha, could you remove your coat? I need to take a look." He inched up and took it off. His undershirt was stained even worse, but I didn't want to think about that. "Kagome, do you have a towel or something?"

"Sure," she rummaged through her backpack and handed me a large rag. I helped him slide the shirt off and I got right to work wiping up all of the blood. The smell was almost overwhelming, but I bared with it. The wound itself was two slashes that intersected each other at the end, leaving an almost triangular sort of wound. "Ok, just gotta seal this up. Kagome?"

"Right on it, I have some bandages in my first aid kit." I wrapped the cloth around the wound a couple of times and tied it. "All right, that should do it."

"You…" Inuyasha's eyes were starting to droop. He gritted his teeth and groaned. The bandages were starting to bleed. I sighed, "Oh, now what?"

"Wait… until the bleeding stops."

"No… I can't… you've lost too much blood already. In your human form, you…" My eyes started to water and I completely lost it. I leaned against Inuyasha's chest and started crying my eyes out. "This is all my fault… I just can't do anything right… I tried my hardest, but it's not good enough. I… I'm worthless!"

"No you're not… the way you dealt with Sesshomaru was… you held him off the best you could. I couldn't have done it better…" Inuyasha's eyes met mine and I could see the weakness behind them. I put my left hand to his chest, "you need to fight, Inuyasha… you need to hang on… fight for your life…" I wiped my eyes, "and I'll fight right along with you."

"Thank… you… princess." He then shut his eyes. I quickly grabbed his wrist. "Oh no, his pulse is dropping." I sat up and shook him, "Inuyasha! Inuyasha, you have to stay with us!" I breathed heavily when he was barely breathing. "No, no, you can't… you can't…" I leaned my head to his heart and I cried more. "If you don't come through this, I'll never forgive myself. Never, never, never…" I sobbed, "I refuse to let you die." I swallowed to help stop the tightening of my throat.

His heart was down to the slow, subtle beat like when he was sealed to the tree. I listened my head to look at him. Even though he was human, I saw and felt that presence that he had. Miroku knelt down next to me. "Princess, you should get that wound of yours looked at."

"I don't care about that. It means nothing to me." I leaned closer to him and held his hand. "Inuyasha…" His pulse was getting slower by the second. I sobbed, "Please don't die…" I leaned my head on his chest and put my arm around him. I sniffed as I got the last of the tears out of my eyes. "You have my heart, Inuyasha; I love you…" I whined. "All those years, you've given me everything. Now it's my time to repay you. With all of my heart and soul, my final wish is for you to live, even if I have to give my own life to do it."

"Princess, no!" Miroku called to me. "My mind's made up, monk!" I shouted.

"Inuyasha…" I said as I slowly grew tired. "My wish is for you to live and I can't care what I have to give for that to happen. You've stolen my heart and I could never love anyone else the same way I do you. Even if you could never give me that kind of love, that's fine with me. Kagome deserves that more than I do."

"Why do you keep saying that I deserve more than you?" Kagome interjected.

"You're unlike any other human I know. You're strong, but you're also kind. You're the perfect match for Inuyasha… I can just tell. My heart told me so. That's why it stopped me from going after you when I was transformed." I looked outside and saw a third star pop up in that empty space in the sky. I slowly shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep, completely exhausted from all that crying.

In his sleep, Inuyasha saw himself walking through a thick white fog. He put a hand on his eyes, trying to see through it. The grass under his feet felt familiar, but he couldn't tell where he was going. He stopped when he heard someone crying. He blinked, 'I know that cry…' he thought. He rushed through the fog and came upon the tree he was sealed to. He was startled when he saw himself pinned to the tree and me crying on him. "I'm so sorry, Inuyasha… I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean for anything bad to happen to you." He called to her, "Hey, stupid, I'm over here!"

That still didn't change anything. He looked at himself, how motionless he was, almost apprehensive about it. He blinked everything got dark. He saw the image of himself change from half-demon to human. The seal broke and he fell down the tree. I was still crying my eyes out. Inuyasha then went to a nearby pond and saw that he too had become human. He looked at his own claws and found them to be normal fingernails. "What's going on?" He whispered. He saw that he was slowly disappearing.

He increased his breathing as he got nervous. "No, I can't disappear… I… no… I can't!"

"I won't let you die, Inuyasha." He gasped as he saw me approach him in the fog. "Both of us have been greatly injured by the Lightning Twins and Sesshomaru. I will see to it that if either of us is to survive this, I want it to be you."

He gasped, "But…"

"I've already made up my mind," I blinked. "Not even you can make me say that I'd rather live and have you die. I'm not programmed that way and nothing will change my mind." I grabbed his hands. He watched, shocked, as he was coming back into focus and I was slowly fading away.

"Stop being so damn noble!"

"Too late," I said, "I've already made my wish and I'm not taking it back." Before the transformation was complete, Inuyasha woke up with the rising sun. He opened his eyes slowly. "What?" He inched up, "I'm back…" He looked outside as the sun came up and he saw his claws coming back and his locks fading back to silver.

"Inuyasha! You're alive!" Kagome hugged him. "I was so worried…" He looked at his bandage and slowly removed it. The wound was completely gone. He dusted the dry blood off of his chest with his claws. He put a hand to his eyes, "Damn, was I that out of it?"

"Your wound was pretty nasty and it didn't help that you were also human." He got to his feet, but held his head with one hand. "Inuyasha! You lost a lot of blood, you shouldn't move just yet." He looked around, "Where's the princess?"

His eyes focused to the other side of the cave. Ignoring Kagome's orders, he walked over and knelt down next to me. He put a hand to my cheek, "You did everything to save me… but did you risk your own life… to save mine?"


	35. Inuyasha in Denial: This Can't Be It

Weakly, I opened my eyes and saw Inuyasha's worried face. I gasped, "Inuyasha!" I covered my mouth with my hand. "My god… is that really you?"

"Duh, who else?" I shoved him. "Don't joke… you had me worried sick!" A pain then ran through me and I grabbed my stomach.

"What is it?" He asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. He looked down as I removed my hand. My gut was boiling with poison. "Sesshomaru's sword… it was coated with the same poison… from his claws."

"Why haven't you transformed into a demon? More importantly, why didn't you get help!"

"Because I was too busy making sure that you lived! Does that mean nothing to you!" I said angrily. "You ungrateful…" I couldn't finish my sentence; the pain returned and I just hissed.

"If I don't recover from this, you sure as hell better appreciate it!" I felt the need to spit in his face, but I couldn't. I knew that if I tried, I probably would end up coughing up blood and that would be a little much.

"I never asked for this." He shrugged it off. "I had in it in mind from the start, you idiot," I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Why do you always have to fight with me?"

"Because… you always start it. Someone's gotta finish it." Kagome sighed, "Inuyasha, sit."

"I cried for hours over you last night, has that meant nothing?" My eyes watered up, "How can you treat me like that? I was scared… terrified that I could have killed you… when you're the most vulnerable…" I held my stomach with one hand and put the other over my mouth.

He got up and I just narrowed my eyes. "How can you be such a jerk?" He blinked as he saw the tears roll down my eyes. "No, don't cry… I didn't mean it like that…" I turned away when he put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry." My eyes met his and I hugged him, crying my eyes out. He rubbed my back. I laughed, "I'm surprised that I can still cry… An ocean must have poured from my eyes last night."

"It's been a long time since I've heard you laugh…" I backed off, looking at him curiously. "Inuyasha… I'm surprised at you. That's so unlike you." I laughed even more.

"You're unlike any demon I've ever met. Like, you fight with fire in your eyes and heart, you're stubborn, but you have a sweet side too. I'd rather see that than fight with you." I smiled, biting my lower lip. "And you're in a class of your own, Inuyasha." I sighed, "Man, it's about time we had a normal conversation like this." I inhaled, but my smile disappeared. I felt my stomach bleeding even more as Sesshomaru's poison spread throughout it.

It was eating me from the inside out and I had ignored it ever since it happened. Inuyasha's health was my only concern, so I was blinded of my own injury. Miroku and Sango came back. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I've been better…" I removed my hand and it had festered further. Miroku rushed to my aid, "Oh no, I need to apply the herbs and quick." I looked at it, "it's too late, Miroku… if my attention weren't so divided last night, we could have gotten to it sooner."

"No, there still might be time. Let me." He applied the herbs to my stomach, but I knew in my heart that it wasn't going to make this go away. "Now, lay still. Inuyasha, could you keep the pressure on?"

"Sure," Miroku removed his hand and Inuyasha replaced it with his. He looked up at me, hopeful, but I didn't return the look. I turned away, knowing what fate in store for me. I had made my wish and this was the catch that I spun into the web of my demise.

"Princess!" I looked to the entrance of the cave and the two cubs came running to me. "Are you all right?"

"For now…" I smiled. "Inuyasha, this is Kira and Katsu, the two cubs I saved from that fire."

"You're the Inuyasha the princess has been talking about?" Kira asked. He nodded, "Yeah, I guess so."

"She says you're the strongest demon she knows."

"Heh, well, she doesn't know many demons." I shoved him, "Be flattered, stupid. I could have told them that Koga is the strongest demon I know, but that would be lying. I told them you because you're special to me, but I don't need to tell you that. You know." I laughed. "But I never told you how much…"

"How much?" He swallowed, "What… what are you going on about?"

"Just forget it." I sighed and added a bit of sarcasm, "If you hadn't fallen unconscious on me last night, you would have heard me." I laughed, "But don't worry. You shall know soon enough."

"What? Don't keep me in the suspense!" I swore I heard his voice crack; it was hilarious. He looked seriously ticked off, but I just laughed in his face. Everyone around me start cracking up and he just crossed his arms, sulking.

I held onto the cloth with the herbs. Just as I thought, the poison had progressed so much that the herbs couldn't do anything now. I felt the bleeding continue to eat away at me, but with the cubs in my sight, I couldn't let on that I was losing this fight. I knew that it was only going to get worse and however long the poison took, it was going to kill me.

I smiled, "C'mon you two, I should really get some rest. You can swing by later if you want."

"Sure," they both bowed, "get well, princess. We love you." I laughed and they left in good spirits. The moment they did, I suddenly felt weighed down.

"Are you all right?" Miroku asked. I let go of the herbs. "They're not doing anything."

I narrowed my eyes, "I told you."

"What does that mean?" Kagome asked. I sighed, "It means that my fate is sealed, Kagome. However long it takes, this poison will kill me." Everyone around me gasped except Inuyasha. I glared at him, "Why aren't you shocked?"

"Cuz, I know you're just playing up the drama of the moment. You're going to be fine." I removed my hand and I gasped in disgust with how much it had progressed. "Does this look encouraging to you!" Furious, I slapped him across the face with the other hand. "Denial isn't going to help in this situation! It's not going to help me and sure as hell isn't going to help you!"

I sighed, pressing a hand to my forehead to get over my frustrations. "If I were you, I'd be scared when I'm not strong enough to fight back." I groaned, "I never pictured that I'd be fighting with you when I'm fighting for my life."

"Looks to me like you're not fighting at all. You're just giving up and that's not the kind of thing you do!"

"I had more faith in you than I ever did in myself… I put all of my energy into making sure that you made it. I'm dealing with this and I'm half-demon. You were human and you made it through this. I'm half-demon, but this poison is still going to affect me sooner or later."

"Maybe you'll develop an immunity to it." He shrugged, looking away.

I laughed, "Wishful thinking…" I sighed as I started to feel a little tired. I let myself slide down so I was laying flat on the floor of the cave. I returned the hand to my stomach and shut my eyes to try getting some sleep. I heard footsteps leave the cave. I sniffed, "Inuyasha… why are you still here?"

"I didn't know you wanted me gone." I smiled, "you're so lame sometimes and stubborn as hell."

"Listen, insults aren't going to get us anyway, so can we just drop them?"

"I will if you will. You always start it." I opened my eyes, "I haven't seen you for two months. The first time I had thought about you in that time frame was just a few days ago. Even after all this time," I looked at him, "my feelings toward you haven't changed." I shut my eyes and I felt a hand pressed on top of the one on my stomach. I looked up at Inuyasha and he just smiled. "Get some rest. I'm not going anywhere."

"Thanks."

"No, I need to thank you. You never gave up on me. You're right, I haven't treated you too well since I got here." He paused, "The truth is that I just want to protect you. That's why I come off as… a complete jerk. I mean what I say in the best possible way, but I'm not so good with words."

"It's about time you explained yourself, Inuyasha, but I always knew you were good. You always said that emotions got in your way and this proves it. I respect that, cuz I know when you subject yourself to emotions, you're just not yourself."

"So, I guess you've kept yourself busy."

"Yeah. I've spent most of the time with the cubs, teaching them what you taught me. They've all been growing up and it just makes me all warm and fuzzy."

"I thought that would be more of your calling than traveling around with me."

"I enjoyed spending all that time with you, but it was too much of a good thing. The longer I stayed, I knew it would be harder for us to separate. Even so, I know that there'd always be a part of me with you and the memories of you would always be a part of me." I looked up, "Inuyasha… if it's not too much trouble, may I lay on your lap?"

"Sure," he blinked and helped me up. I kept the same hand on my stomach and I held his with my other. "Remember that conversation a while back, when I asked you if I'd ever find someone to give my heart to?"

"Yeah… my answer's still yes." I smiled, "The truth is… I've already given my heart away." His expression froze, "You're not…"

"Yeah Inuyasha, before I knew it, the moment I listened to your heart and first got to know you, I knew that I had given my heart away. I had given it to you…" He looked out as if he was thinking it over. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but I haven't found anyone else. You're not perfect, but somehow, my heart found a home with you. There was nothing I could do once that happened, but I don't think I'd rather it be anywhere else."

"I… I… can't…"

"I know you can't understand that, but it's the truth. Emotions are all I know, I can't just make this up."

"No, I suppose not. You'll need your strength, so rest up. Don't worry, I'll keep watch."

"Thanks for protecting me, Inuyasha. You're awesome." I let out a groan before drifting off to sleep.

Inuyasha looked down, watching me as I slept. He then lifted my other hand to check my wound. He gritted his teeth, seeing how it was progressing. 'No, this can't be it. There has to be another way,' he thought. I groaned and titled my head to the left. Inuyasha blinked and then put a hand on my head to stroke it.

"Humph, even though I can't understand why she'd go through all this trouble for me, I can't help pitying her. She thinks so little of herself when there's so much that she could be capable of. As for all the half-demons, she's the only one I know that could rival me in strength. Still, she draws it from a place I never could. We're so alike yet so different." He smiled, "I promise that as long as you're in this condition, I won't ever leave your side. I'm gonna see you through this."

He sat there with me for hours. He watched as the sun slowly started setting. When it was dark, Kagome came back with some food. "Inuyasha, how's she doing?"

"Let's see… well, she's sleeping at least." Kagome looked at the wound, "oh, this doesn't look good at all."

"Tell me about it…" He turned away. "Kagome, this was her plan all along. She cares too much about me to put herself before me; that's why she's letting herself get taken by this poison."

"Or maybe she just accepts it as her fate."

"I don't believe that. She's given up on everything, even herself and she had so much potential. That's why I took her up as sort of an apprentice. I wanted her to find her own strength, but also to show the world that being half-demon doesn't mean being weak."

"You really do care about her, huh?" She watched with interest.

"Yeah… I'd hate to admit that, but I do and hate this." Kagome felt my forehead, "I'll get some cold water, she's starting to get a fever."

After Kagome left, Inuyasha continued to stroke my bangs. "That's strange… when I was poisoned, I transformed. Why hasn't she transformed? Unless she's not that kind of half-demon." He looked into space, "She transformed into a full demon when she's really furious… I guess she doesn't have a strong will to live. If she cares about me as much as she says she does, why isn't that enough to keep her alive?"

"Who knows?" Kagome came back with a pail of water. "She is quite the unusual half-demon."

Inuyasha returned his attention when he felt a growing warmness under his hand. "There's the fever." Kagome rung out a rag and handed it to him. He lifted my bangs and gently placed it. His face got serious, "I've only seen her go so far as a high fever; I'd hate to see what comes next." He did his best to hide it, but as the night dragged on, Inuyasha grew more and more concerned as my fever got worse.

"You should really get some sleep…" Kagome said, getting into her sleeping bag.

"No, I'm gonna stay up through the night so I can see her through it." He draped his coat over me.

"So, you're feeling better?"

"Except for being a little concerned, I feel pretty good. I was actually a little worried that I lost so much blood that…" Kagome put a hand on his shoulder, "You have a guardian angel watching over you, Inuyasha… you were lucky."

"Yeah… but my guardian angel is right here, at least for now." He turned to her, "Go to sleep, Kagome. You don't need to stay up with me." She nodded. "Don't stay up too late."


	36. How Much Longer?

I woke up with the sun, but I felt tired. "Oh, so you're awake?" I looked up and Inuyasha yawned. I blinked, "you didn't stay up all night, did you?"

"Of course not," he turned away, "I caught a couple of hours." I thought to myself, 'so reality finally started setting in, huh?' He was starting to accept the fact that my days were numbered. I winced at the fizzing going on in my stomach. I also felt a little hot, so I started to sweat. In response, Inuyasha put his coat back on and massaged my face with a wet rag. I increased my breathing as my anxieties were starting to play a role.

"Hang on for as long as you can," Inuyasha said. I groaned with sickness and I was constantly opening and closing my eyes. As my fever escalated, my head started to feel congested and crammed. I watched as Inuyasha stroked my hair and combed his claws through it. My eyes started to droop as I felt the poison continue to work its way through my gut. Inuyasha continued to hold my hand throughout that day and I squeezed it with every ounce of pain that I felt.

He remarked, "If you keep doing that, I'll lose feeling in that hand." I rolled my eyes as my face felt like it was getting red. Miroku arrived a few hours later. "My gosh, the poison is progressing rapidly. More so than I expected."

"So," I looked to the side, "what's your estimate, Miroku? How… how much longer… do I have to live?"

"At most, you'll make it through to tomorrow." It struck me then. The thought of dying… something that had never struck me before, really hit home. Although I accepted it as my destiny, I almost wanted to be spared because I knew that once I was gone, I'd be alone.

"Thanks Miroku…" I shut my eyes as my head was titled to the right.

"Don't you think you should eat something?" I opened my eyes, "There's no point, I only want this fever to cool down." I whined, "I feel so hot."

"Miroku, get some more cold water!" Inuyasha barked. I groaned as he felt my forehead. "Hang on…" I shut my eyes. When the cold returned to my face, I opened my eyes half way. I felt so feverish that I was starting to lose my focus. I mumbled, "Inuyasha… Inuyasha…" He only increased the rate at which he was massaging my face with the cold water.

I then caught a familiar scent. "Koga's here."

"Damn him…"

"Hey mutt, what the…" Koga rushed over. "What… what happened?"

I mumbled, "Sesshomaru… his sword was… coated with… poison. It's… eating away… at me."

"Isn't there something you can do to stop it?"

"Don't you think we've tried everything? It's spread too much, there's nothing that any of us can do!" Inuyasha barked. "Quit assuming that it was my fault, get off my back!"

I opened my eyes, still feverish. "It's my own fault, Koga… I had to protect Inuyasha from his brother… it was the only thing I could do for him…"

"So, you'd rather die than dump this mutt?" I blinked, looking away, "You're lucky that I'm sick, Koga," I eyed him, "cuz if I wasn't, I'd strangle you."

I looked to the cave entrance and saw Kagome. "Kagome, take Koga outside and explain things to him. I'm too… tired…" I let another wave of pain pass through me, "Koga, if I die… promise that you'll take care of my tribe?"

"I will, princess, if that is your dying wish." Once he left, I sighed, "Well, at least I know I can always count on him."

"Humph, yeah right."

"Actually, my father was half-demon, a wolf half-demon. My mother and father formed an alliance between the wolves and tigers over 100 years ago. Koga could very well be family, but I don't want to attempt to process our interrelatedness."

"Get some sleep, princess." Inuyasha smiled, but I could tell it was covering up something else. I shut my eyes, "Inuyasha, do you plan staying with me until the bitter end that I'll face tomorrow?"

"Until you breathe your last breath… and… your heart beats for the last time… I will be by your side. I promise you that." He put a hand to my cheek and I put my hand on top of his. I stretched out my back a little before settling back down. I took one last look at Inuyasha before I drifted off to sleep. I listened to my heart and it said, "Tomorrow will be the world's hardest goodbye on so many levels. Cherish those last moments for as long as you can." I thought back to Inuyasha, and I knew that I'd cherish every moment I shared with him forever.


	37. Death

I got up the next morning. Inuyasha was still asleep, looking absolutely adorable… ew, wrong word. If he heard me say that, he'd kill me. I walked outside to look out to the sun. My heart told me that I had until sunset to live. I sat on my rock and looked out over the valley. I thought about what I wanted to do, if I was strong enough to do it. I looked out and knew one thing. "I want to return to the Sacred Tree one last time."

"All right," I turned around and Inuyasha approached. "Hop on, I'll take you." I nodded and got on his back. I felt so alive at this point that I had forgotten about my wound. I just savored every moment that I had left. When we got to the tree, I was ready to fall apart. I rushed to it and put my hand against its bark. I turned around and saw him standing there. "I was here, over 50 years ago, so much has changed since then. You're free from the seal. Naraku said that my presence gave you a reason to live, made you want to live. That's why your heart was always beating. Kagome was the one who broke the seal."

"Well, Naraku might have been right about this one thing." I looked at the bark and felt it. With the memories of those nights flashing before my eyes, they started to cloud with tears. I slowly fell to my knees, covering my eyes with my left hand.

A hand fell on my shoulder. I saw as Inuyasha knelt down next to me. He shook his head, "Don't cry…" I wiped my eyes and leaned my head on his chest and started crying like I was little again. I shook like a leaf. "I'm so afraid…" He embraced me with both arms. "I… I don't want to be alone. When I die, I'm going to be all alone." I shuddered, "I know that I can't take you with me, but I know that when I go, I'll have no one on the other side."

"You'll be with your mother again, princess… that I know." He held me tighter and I felt like the tears weren't going to let up.

Finally, about an hour later, I stopped. He let me go and I wiped my eyes. I replaced a hand to my stomach. I hissed, "Ow… my stomach…"

"C'mon, it's time to go back and quick." I hopped on, wrapping one arm around his waist and the other remained on my stomach. When we arrived back at the cave, all of the cubs of the tribe were waiting for me, along with Kagome, Miroku and the others. Inuyasha let me walk on my own, but I stopped straight when the pain got worse. This time it was a stabbing pain that was ripped through my flesh and gut rapidly. I hissed, "Curse you, Sesshomaru."

I grew dizzy and I had to kneel. Kira and Katsu approached me, "Princess… you're hurt really badly. Let someone…"

"I won't be much longer…" I looked outside and it was already past noon. I looked at them and smiled. "The two of you, you will always be the two cubs I'll remember the most about. When I saved you from the fire, it led me to roll down the hill. I wouldn't have met Inuyasha if it hadn't been for you two. That's why I'll entrust the tribe to two of you. Learn to become strong demons and take over for me when you're old enough."

"But, that could take a while…" Kira said. I smiled, "Tiger demons age a little faster than usual demons. You should be able to take over within 10-20 years." Koga arrived at the cave a few moments later. "Until then, Koga will take over command of this tribe. He's a strong warrior and I trust him completely." He approached me and kneeled by me. "How are you holding up?"

"All right for now…" I put a hand on his shoulder, "Promise me that you'll look after these two and teach them to be strong warriors like yourself."

"Humph, don't hold your breath." Inuyasha said, smugly. I narrowed my eyes, "Inuyasha, you're on a huge quest here. You don't have time for this."

"Young demons are very impressionable." He came over and kneeled by us. "They've gotta learn something from you too. They need to learn to fight with their hearts. A full-fledged demon couldn't teach them that. In that time span, I'll have taken care of Naraku."

"But you won't be able to use the jewel to become all demon."

"Maybe not…" I smiled, but the fizzing in my stomach continued to grow. I hissed, holding it with both hands.

"Princess!" The cubs shouted. Inuyasha let me lay down, resting my head on his lap like last night. As I watched the sun slowly make its descent, I felt like I was growing weaker by the minute. Inuyasha grabbed a hold of one hand.

It was time to start saying my good-byes. I opened my eyes, looking up as my vision was starting to get clouded. "Shippo…"

"Yes, princess?" He hopped over, "what is it?"

"You're so spirited Shippo. I hope you grow up to become a strong fox demon like your father before."

"My father?"

"My mother knew him as well… and he was a strong demon. I had a feeling that he was very much like you at your age." I smiled, patting him on the head. He nodded.

I looked up as he left my side. "Miroku, Sango…" I smiled at them, "Sango, keep Miroku under control, why don't you?" She laughed, "Sure."

"Miroku, I'm sorry for being a jerk to you… but you really should learn not to be such a lecherous monk."

"It's not like he can help himself. It's part of his personality." Inuyasha snubbed him. I rolled my eyes.

"But continue to do what you do, heal the wounded…" I hissed as the pain grew worse. "I'll do that, princess, because it's my duty."

I looked out and the sun had begun to set. As it started to disappear behind the horizon, I felt myself slowly slipping away. My soul was losing touch with my body. I groaned in pain. I felt my fever rising beyond its limits and my stomach was on fire. I shut my eyes and groaned as Inuyasha wiped my brow with cold water.

"Koga… will you take everyone back to your den? They don't need to stay here any longer."

"All right, let's go everyone." I leaned up, "Good-bye everyone, I love you all. Be strong and take the tiger demons into the future with the lessons I had taught you. If Inuyasha ever returns, pay heed to him as well in honor of my memory. That is my wish for you all." I smiled and they all left with sad, but happy smiles.

Koga was the last to leave, "Take care, Koga. I hope that you'll stick to your word."

"I will, princess. Farewell." He run out without looking back. Everyone else started to take off. Eyes half-opened, I said, "Wait Kagome…"

She knelt next to me. "What is it, princess?"

"Promise me that you'll help Inuyasha in anyway you can to recover those shards and defeat Naraku. Don't lose sight of…" I groaned, "keep him in check, but…" It was getting harder to breathe. "Take care of him."

"I will." I held her hand to my hear and laughed, "the most decent human I've ever met in my life. You've shown me that not all humans are… are… bad."

"Kaede told me that I'm the reincarnation of Kikyo. I hope that you get reincarnated too. People like you are hard to come by."

"Thanks for the sentiment, Kagome. Goodbye, you may… go… leave the two of us alone."

"Ok." She put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, but he was looking away. She was about to say something, but she just nodded and took off.

My heart took off like a rocket. I was afraid of what would happen next. Slowly, the sun was disappearing. My anxiety increased, but everything else was slowing down. My breathing was shallow, but it was rapid. My eyes were now clouded, but Inuyasha was the only thing I could see clearly. I looked up at him and he looked away with his eyes half-open.

"Inuyasha…" He blinked. "Hold me… one last time." I was unable to move, so he carefully repositioned me so my head was laying his chest. I felt blood start pouring through the corner of my mouth. My stomach tightened with the pain ripping through it. My chest tightened and so did my throat. I felt myself slowly losing my grip. I put an arm around Inuyasha and my ear laid over his heart. "Your heartbeat, just as strong as it ever was. I never want it to change."

"It won't…" I sighed as it comforted me. "You're right, I won't be alone. I'll have my mother, maybe my father watching over me. I'll always think of you and what you've done for me." He held me tighter. I half-opened my eyes and dispelled my last tears. "Inuyasha…" I had a bracelet on each of my hands. I removed the bracelet on my left wrist and kept the one on my right hand. "I want you to have this." I placed it in his free, clawed hand and closed it around him.

I saw the sun slowly disappear from view and the sky grew dark. "Inuyasha…" I lifted my head and I faced him eye to eye. He looked at me as if saying, 'what's left'. I placed a hand to his cheek. "Take care and live your life to its fullest, Inuyasha. That is my deepest wish. I love you, I've always loved you, and I always will." He blinked as I saw his eyes start to quiver with his emotions on the rise. I smiled at him, preserving the memory of his face in my heart and I returned my head to his heart. I held him as tight as I was able. Everything was silent except for his heart and mine. I slowly shut my eyes. His heart was the last thing I heard before I slipped away into the night…


	38. Paying Final Respects and One Last Wish

Inuyasha opened his eyes to see that the sun had gone down. His heart was startled when he felt the princess go limp in his arms. He let go and laid her down. He listened to her heart and any sign of life, but there was nothing. "Princess?" He shook her, "Princess Chihiro?" He shakily put a hand to her cheek. He whispered, "She's gone…"

Kagome came in, "Inuyasha." She slowly approached, "Is she…"

"Yeah," he picked her up and walked out of the cave.

"Inuyasha, where are you going?"

"Kagome, I need to go alone." She nodded. He carried her all the way back to the Sacred Tree and laid her down in front of it. He stroked her cheek shakily. He withdrew it, making a fist. "What the hell…" He was fighting with every inch of himself not to lose control, but to no avail. He held her in his arms as he shivered. "You idiot… you… I never… I didn't…" I finally got a grip, "I never got to say goodbye. You couldn't have waited a little longer to die!" He groaned, "No, I'm the idiot… I had my chance and I never took it. I care about you… so much, Chihiro and I never let on. Forgive me for leading you to your death. Please forgive me!"

He screamed so loud that the world would have heard him. He fought it off as long as he could, but it was no use. His throat tightened as water welded up in his eyes. "No… I can't…" He shut his eyes and a few tears fell on the ground. "I only wanted to protect you… you are… you're just too much like me." He found himself unable to say anything else; Inuyasha was lost for words as his emotions slowly spilled out one tear at a time.

He wiped his eyes and held the princess's bracelet tightly in his right hand. He slipped it into a pocket in his pants and slowly walked away. He turned around one last time. "I wish that you could be reincarnated so you can live your life and not have me keep you from reaching your full potential. I want you to live your life to its fullest. It is all I ask." From there, he sprinted back to the caves.

Back there, Kagome was talking with the others. "Do you think Inuyasha will be all right, Kagome?" Shippo asked.

"I'm sure he'll be, Shippo. He just needs some time… I think that whether he wants to admit it, he did love her. I have to respect that and he just wants to give her a proper burial." That's when Inuyasha hopped back to the rocks, his arms crossed.

"Inuyasha." Kagome approached him, "are you…"

"I'm fine, Kagome." He looked at her, his eyes full of confidence. "I will be. It's what she would have wanted and I need to respect that." He made a fist, "All the more reason to go after Naraku and Sesshomaru… I won't rest until I teach the both of them not to mess with me!" He shouted, "Say your prayers, you bastards!"

Kagome put a hand on his shoulder and he acknowledged it. "Kagome, let's go. We need to continue our journey, but first…" He reached into his pocket. "Hold onto this…"

"Her jewel shard…"

"Make sure that Naraku doesn't get it." She nodded. Everyone looked at him and he looked back.

Sango pointed, "Look, another star just appeared in the sky." Everyone saw it and Inuyasha looked on curiously. He repeated his wish to himself.

He turned to face everyone with a look of pure confidence. "It's time to leave the past and head onto the future."


	39. Results of That Final Wish

Some indeterminate amount of time later…

In the world of the dead, the princess was surrounded by the members of her tribe that died in the great destruction of the tiger demons. She returned with her mother and told her all about her adventures as she lived. She found out that her father had given his own life for her mother's and she laughed, "That's the same thing that I did. I'm so proud." She also met Inuyasha's mother who was very grateful for everything she had done for her son.

As for Inuyasha, he was visited by the princess in his dreams quite often. He was finally able to sum up the words to say his last goodbyes. His mother also told him that the princess would be well-taken care of and he was grateful to her for that. He told the princess of the progression of the tiger demon cubs under his and Koga's instruction. He held the bracelet often, as it reminded him of her.

Kagome, despite her absences, made it to high school. She enjoyed life in the feudal era as well as her own, even though Naraku had grown increasingly stronger since last encountering the princess. One day, however, a new student came to class. She sat next to Kagome and there was something familiar in her eyes. She asked, "Hi, what's your name?"

"It's Sen." She smiled, "and you are…"

"My name's Kagome."

"Kagome? That name sounds familiar to me." She wondered curiously as she blinked with her light blue eyes.

"Would you like to come to my house after school? I think there's someone I want you to meet."

"Sure, I'll follow you there." When they returned, Kagome had a feeling that something about Sen was familiar, no doubt about it. She told her to wait by the 1,000 year-old Sacred Tree as she headed down to the Bone-Eater's well.

Inuyasha returned with her, "What on earth is so important!"

"There's something I need to verify." He rushed out of the shrine and gasped. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Sen. He saw the familiar bracelet on her right hand. He approached her, almost breathless. "You… you're…"

Sen looked up and laughed. "Aw, what cute little ears." She leaned on her tip-toes to touch them. "Like dog ears, cool." She smiled and laughed. Not seeming to mind, Inuyasha just blinked, "You remind me of someone…"

"Um… maybe we knew each other in another life."

"That's what I thought." He asked, "This sounds like a weird request… but may I…" He approached her and put his arms around her. The familiar feeling of calmness she gave him verified his theory.

"What's your name?" She asked. He blinked, "Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha…" She thought aloud, "I've heard that name in my dreams. Maybe we have met in another life." He let go and stroked her cheek. "I hope you come by here often, Kagome's a good friend… to anyone that allows her company." She nodded. "Well, I'd better get going. It was nice meeting you… Inuyasha. See you tomorrow, Kagome." She smiled before taking off.

He headed back to the well. "Inuyasha!" Kagome chased after him, "What happened when you went to the Sacred Tree?"

"I can't explain it, Kagome. But I made a wish… and it came true. Now the princess can get the life she's always wanted and I won't stand in her way from reaching her full potential. What's done has been done and I'm glad it all worked out."

"Me too, Inuyasha… I think it'll all be okay."

"Yeah. Kagome, thanks for being there for me." She nodded. They sat down on the steps of the shrine, Inuyasha's arm wrapped around Kagome's shoulders as she leaned on him. "I can't quite explain how I feel about her. Sure, I didn't _love_ her like, that kind of love, but I felt something. I just know that I wanted her to live her life the way she told me to live mine, to its fullest. The way I feel about her can't compare with the way I feel about Kikyo or… you, Kagome, but it's a special sort of love that I don't think I could ever feel for anyone ever again."

He took Kagome's hand and smiled as she smiled back. They looked up as the stars came out and watched those four stars shine brightly along with a brilliant full moon.

THE END


End file.
